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Photographic 

Sciences 
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23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  872-4503 


m 


f/j 


fA 


J 


CIHM/ICMH 

Microfiche 

Series. 


CIHM/ICMH 
Collection  de 
microfiches. 


Canadian  Institute  for  Historical  Microreproductions  /  Institut  Canadian  de  microreproductions  historiques 


Technical  and  Bibliographic  Notes/Notes  techniques  et  bibliographiques 


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□ 


D 


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Cartas  g6ographiques  en  couleur 

Coloured  ink  (i.e.  other  than  blue  or  black)/ 
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Co 


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D 


Additional  comments:/ 
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Ce  document  est  film*  au  taux  de  r6duction  indiqu*  ci-dessous. 


10X 

14X 

18X 

22X 

26X 

30X 

! 

! 

4 

■— ^ 

19Y 

1RX 

kMI^BHM 

20X 

24X 

28X 

32X 

ails 

du 

idifier 

une 

nage 


Th«  copy  filmsd  her*  hat  been  raproduc«d  thanks 
to  tha  QAnaroaity  of: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 

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possible  considering  the  condition  and  legibility 
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ginArosit*  de: 

Library  Division 

Provincial  Archives  of  British  Columbia 

Les  images  sulvantes  ont  At*  reproduites  avec  l« 
plus  grand  soln,  compta  tenu  de  la  condition  at 
de  la  nettetA  de  I'exemplaire  film*,  et  en 
conformity  avec  les  conditions  du  contrat  de 
filmage. 


Original  copies  in  printed  paper  covers  are  filmed 
beginning  with  the  front  cover  and  ending  on 
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originaux  sont  fiimis  en  commenpant  par  la 
premiere  page  qui  comporte  une  empreinte 
d'impression  ou  d'illustration  at  en  terminant  par 
la  dernidre  page  qui  comporte  une  telle 
empreinte. 


The  last  recorded  frame  on  each  microfiche 
shall  contain  the  symbol  -^^  (meaning  "CON- 
TINUED "),  or  the  symbol  V  (meaning   'END '), 
whichever  applies. 


Un  des  symboles  suivants  apparattra  sur  la 
dernidre  image  de  cheque  microfiche,  selon  le 
cas:  le  symbole  <— ^-  signifie  "A  SUIVRE",  le 
symbole  V  signifie  "FIN  ". 


Maps,  plates,  charts,  etc.,  may  be  filmed  at 
different  reduction  ratios.  Those  too  large  to  be 
entirely  included  in  one  exposure  are  filmed 
beginning  in  the  upper  left  hand  corner,  left  to 
right  and  top  to  bottom,  as  many  frames  as 
required.  The  following  diagrams  illustrate  the 
method: 


Les  cartes,  planches,  tableaux,  etc.,  peuvent  dtre 
filmis  A  des  taux  de  reduction  diffdrents. 
Lorsque  le  document  est  trop  grand  pour  dtre 
reproduit  en  un  seul  cliche,  il  est  film*  A  partir 
de  Tangle  sup6rieur  gauche,  de  gauche  d  droite, 
et  de  haut  en  bas,  en  prenant  le  nombre 
d'images  nicassaire.  Les  diagrammes  suivants 
illustrent  la  mdthode. 


irrata 
to 


peture, 
n  i 


n 


32X 


1 

2 

3 

1 

2 

3 

4 

5 

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a. 


■'  'I  ;■      "'  'Hi 


■■•''1   1    f'i  w      '    'it^' 


<\RCTiC    lIJiRUliS: 


FACTS    AND     INCIDENTS 


OF 


ARCTIC  EXI'LORATIOXS 


i 


FROM  THE  E.\:;iIKST  VOYAGIIS  TO  THE  DISCOVERY  OF  THE 

FATE  OF   SiU   JOHN    FK'WKMX,    EMIiltACING 

-SKETCHES   OF   CO.MMEKCFAE    ANJ) 

liEI.IGlorS   liEsUIXS. 


By  REV.  Z.   A.  MUDGE, 

Author  of  -  Views  trom  ]',.vmo,  th  Rock,"  "  W,  ,<■„  Uu  i ,"  -  F, 
f'KiNTS  OF  Roger  Williams,"  ejc. 


K)T- 


F^OUR      I  L.  L.  U  S  T  R  A  T  I  O  N  S. 


NKW    YORK: 

NELSON      &      PHILLIPS 
cixcixxATi:  HrrciiiocK  &  WAf. ur.x. 

yi'MMV  SCIIiidL  DKI'VUr.MKNT. 


I  6 


f. 


4 


az-n 


.1 


Eiitoivt!  .•iiTuriUiii,'  t,)  An  ol"Cui;;^-rcss.  in  the  vcu-  1^ 
NELSOi-T  &  PHILLIPS, 


ill  tlie  Office  cf  llic  1. 


i!ir;tri;iii  of '.'oni/i'iv-^  at  W 


l-llUi'/tilll. 


1 


PREFACE. 


WE  have  endeavored  in  this  volume  to  give 
the  principal  facts  in  the  wonderful  his- 
tory of  arctic  exploration,  down  to  the  discovery 
of  the  fate  of  Sir  John  Franklin.  We  have  not 
included,  however,  the  Grinnell  Expedition  of 
1853-5,  sent  out  under  Dr.  Kane,  which,  though 
seeking  Franklin,  did  not  embody  in  its  results 
any  facts  concerning  him,  but  is  yet  so  remark- 
able in  its  achievements,  so  full  of  thrilling  in- 
cidents, and  so  rich  in  information,  that  we 
have  reserved  our  sketches  of  it  for  another 
volume,  which  will  embrace  all  the  late  arctic 
voyages. 

In  the  arctic  history  here  presented  we  have 
given  the  results  of  a  wide  range  of  study  in 
this  class  of  literature,  including  both  that  pub- 
lished in  this  country  and  in  England. 

In  the  orthography  of  words  belonging  to  the 
extreme  northern  regions  we  have  used  the 
simplest  form,  supported  by  good  literary  author- 


1 

I 


PRI:I"ACE. 


ity,  following  mainly  that  of  Professor  Dall,  of 
the  Smithsonian  Institution,  in  his  standard 
work  on  Alaska.  Thus,  we  have  Esquimo,  used 
in  a  collective  and  individual  sense,  Kamchatka, 
Bering,  etc.  ;  words  more  grateful  to  the  eye, 
more  easily  written,  and  more  readily  spoken, 
than  in  their  old  forms. 

Though  mainly  secular  in  character,  our  book 
will  yet  be  found,  we  are  persuaded,  decidedly 
healthy  in  moral  tone,  and,  in  some  of  its  chap- 
ters, of  marked  religious  interest.  It  has  been 
written  for  our  young  people,  and  from  this 
stand-point  the  author  wishes  it  to  be  judged. 

Z.  A.  M. 


1 1 


COiN  TENTS. 


Ci.APTKU  p^^^ 

I.  Northmen  Navk;at()rs „ 

1 1.  An  Arctic  Gold  Fever ig 

III.  I'i:rils  by  Sea 25 

IV.  IcE-BOL'NI) „2 

v.  .Set  ADRiF'i-   .^ 

\'l.    SlIIl'WRKCK   AM)  l':sCArK ,o 

\'II.  Arctic  Mi^siox-WoRK ^(j 

VIII.  A  SiDDKx   Retreat 5, 

IX.   Strikinc;    Incidenis yc 

X.  iMi'oRiAxr    SrccEss 34 

XI.  Arctic  Sea-^Toxsters ^6 

XII.    DoWX   TIIIC   Cori'ERMIXE J05 

XIII.  A  CiiEERECL  Arctic  Wixter 120 

XIV.  Arctic  Revival  Work 133 

XV.  Lost  and  Forxi) j.^ 

X\'I.  Down  the  Great  Fish  River 150 

XVir.  Franklin  Missixg— The  Search  Commenced  173 

XVIII.  Steaming  Through  Ice-Floes jgs 

XIX.  Sigxificant  Relics 301 

X X.  Vankfe  Ice-Figiitin(; 220 

XXI.   1'reaks  of  Atmospheric  Rffraction 235 


8  CONTI.XTS. 

CiiAi-TRit  Pao„ 

XXII.  Df,  II avf.n's  Wondkrful  Drift 252 

XXIII.  TiiK  Xorih-Wkst  Pass.\{;k  Discovfrkd.  . . .  267 

XXIV.  TiiK  I  >i.sKRTi-.i)  Ships 279 

XXV,  Th!',  Fatf  of  Sir  John  Franklin 2qi 


>♦• 


Illustrations. 


<s 


NiPi'En  in  the  Ice 2 

Sawinc;  a  Channei oo 

Ross'  Rescue 15^ 

Floating    Icebergs 226 


a 


pAriK 

267 
279 
2QI 


ARCTIC   HEROES. 


-♦-♦- 


2 
90 

157 
226 


CHAPTER  I. 

NORTHMEN    NAVIGATORS. 

OUR  readers  need  not  shiver  at  the  thought 
of  a  voyage  into  the  regions  of  cold  and 
ice.  They  will,  of  course,  not  wear  their  summer 
garments,  but  go  clothed  m  the  warmest  furs;  a 
material  made  by  God  for  arctic  wear,  the  equal 
of  which  for  this  climate  no  woolen  factory  would 
think  of  producing.  They  must  go  with  a  reso- 
lute spirit,  too  ;  for  no  timid,  fireside  dreamers,  lov- 
ing yellow-covered  literature,  the  last  dime  novel, 
or  sickly  story  books,  need  engage  to  accompany 
us.  Should  they  wish  to  do  so  they  must  first 
throw  all  such  trash  into  the  fire,  and  agree  to 
stand  erect,  facing  the  North  Pole  with  unflinch- 
ing bravery.  To  those  who  will  do  this,  whether 
manly  boys  or  womanly  girls,  we  promise  no  small 
stores  of  useful  knowledge,  no  little  interest 
from  thrilling  adventures,  and  sometimes  positive 
amusement  from  laughable  incidents. 

Do  you  ask  where  we  are  to  go  }     Take  a  map 
of  the  Arctic  Ocean.     See  where  Spitzbergen  pro- 


lO 


Arctic  Hkkoks. 


jects  toward  the  Nortli  Tolc  on  one  side,  and,  not 
far  from  it,  where  (Ireenland  advances — we  do 
not  know  how  far — and  where  Nova  Zenil)la  and 
the  Siberian  Ishmds  stand  as  sentinels  at  a  very 
respectaljle  distance.  No  i)art  of  the  continents 
of  Asia  or  America  chiims  to  extend  as  far  as  we 
}jro])(jse  10  go.  It  is  into  what  is  marked  as  an 
ocean,  spotted  by  tliese  small  portiors  of  land, 
that  we  intend  to  sail,  not  neglecting,  however,  to 
make  ourselves  accpiainted  with  the  regions  of 
cold  lying  a  little  further  south. 

What  is  called  the  Arctic  Ocean  is  of  vast  ex- 
tent. Its  shore-line  circle  is  many  thousai.v^s  of 
miles.  Its  area  four  and  a  half  mi'lions  of  s([uare 
miles.  It  has  a  beauty  and  grandeur  of  its  own. 
We  shall  not  stop  here  to  describe  theni,  l)ut  will 
only  say  that  its  sky,  at  times,  flashes  with  a  light 
marvelous  in  its  variety  of  form  and  color;  its 
waters  float  icy  islands  wrought  into  magic  forms, 
and  its  cold,  thin  atmosphere  is  fanned  by  wings 
of  birds  so  many  in  number  that  we  could  no 
more  count  them  than  we  could  count  the  leaves 
in  the  forests  of  the  sunny  South.  These  we  will 
show  our  readers  in  due  tmie,  if  they  do  not 
leave  our  company. 

We  shall  certainly  introduce  them  to  some  of 
the  bravest  and  best  of  men,  and  show  them  a 
peculiar  people  who  live  in  a  land  of  perpetual 
cold. 

Who  were  the  first  visitors  of  the  arctic  resions.? 
We  cannot  answer  that  question  with  certainty, 
but  we  know  who  were  voyagers  there  many  hun- 


Norllunoi  Navigators. 


i  I 


dred  years  ago.     A  l)old  navigator  from   Xorway, 
by  the  iiaim.'  of  Other,  sailed  in  .\.   D.  Syo  round 
the   northern   extremity  of  Iceland,      lie   was   the 
first  to  cross  the  arctii:  circle.     This  was  a  grt^at 
voyage  for  a  time  when  a  ship  was  not  as  good  as 
our  shore-trading  vessels  ;  but  he  made  no  discov- 
ery.    Some   years  afterward  an  Icelander,   nametl 
(lunbiorn  was  driven  off  tlie  coast  of  his  country 
in  a  storm.     Away  his  little  bark  scud  before  tlic 
wind,  until  it  came  in  sight  of  a  high  rocky  cjast 
of  an   extended  land.     The  storm  had  subsided, 
the  wind  changed,  and  so  he  steered  for  Iceland 
without  going  ashore.     He  reported  his  discovery, 
but  noJKjdy  cared  to  try  the  stormy  voyage,  and 
for    nearly   a   hundred    years    nothing    more    was 
known  of  it.      iii  982  a  fierce   Iceland  chief  be- 
came too  turbulent  to  be  esteemed  by  his  king  a 
safe  subject,  and  was  banished  for  a  term  (jf  years. 
Being  as  bold  as  he  was  wicked,  he  wisely  resolved 
to  spend  the  time  upon  the  ocean  in  search  of  un- 
known lands.     It  may  be   that  he  had  heard  of 
Gunbiorn's  story.     At  any  rate,  he  sailed  away  to 
the  west,  and  came  to  the  same  great  land.     He 
stayed   there    with    his    ship's   crew    three    years, 
learning  all  he  could  of  its  extent  and  character. 
He  then  returned  and  persuaded  a  colony  to   go 
to  this  land  of  promise. 

This  chief's  name  was  Eric,  known  as  Red  Eric. 
He  seems  to  have  been  a  speculator  in  new  lands 
— perhaps  he  formed  a  stock  company;  and,  to 
make  his  speculation  succeed,  he  called  the  new 
continent  Greenland.     Those  whom  he  persuaded 


f '  i 


12 


Arctic  Heroes. 


!; 


to  go  were  much  greener^  we  think,  than  the  land. 
But  good  came  out  of  his  project. 

Not  long  after  the  settlement  was  made,  a  son 
of  one  of  the  colonists,  wishing  to  join  his  father, 
started  in  a  ship  for  Greenland.  He  sailed  a 
long,  long  time,  driven  by  contrary  winds  and 
drifted  by  strong  currents.  At  last  he  came  in 
siglit  of  land.  He  looked  carefully  toward  the 
shore  as  he  coasted  at  a  safe  distance.  He  came 
ftnally  to  the  conclusion  that  this  7uas  a  green 
land,  and,  as  he  had  learned  before  leaving  Ice- 
land that  Eric's  Greenland  was  perpetually  white 
with  snow  and  ice,  he  decided  that  he  had  sailed 
out  of  his  way.  He  steered  to  the  north  and  saw 
other  lands.  These  are  now  believed  to  have 
been  Nantucket,  off  the  coast  of  Massachusetts, 
Newfoundland,  and  Labrador.  He  reached  Green- 
land all  right  in  987.  He  had  not  landed  in  any 
of  these  newly  discovered  countries. 

Ships  sailed  in  those  days,  it  is  said,  four  miles 
an  hour  in  good  weather,  so  that  a  hundred  miles 
a  day  was  good  speed.  Eric's  long  voyage  must 
have  made  his  sailors,  if  not  seasick,  very  sick  of 
the  sea. 

But  Eric  himself  was  neither.  Thirteen  years 
later,  in  the  year  1000,  he  sailed  through  the  same 
waters.  He  landed  on  Rhode  Island,  and,  having 
examined  the  vicinity,  made  his  winter-quarters 
at  the  mouth  of  what  is  now  known  as  Taunton 
River.  Here  a  woman  of  his  company  gave  birth 
to  a  child,  whom  they  named  Snorre  Thorfinnson. 
Little    Snorre  was,  so  far  as  we  know,  the  first 


m 


Northmen  Navigators. 


13 


American  born  of  European  parents.  He  called 
the  country  Vineland,  because  he  thought  it 
abounded  in  vines. 

The  spot  where  he  made  his  winter-quarters, 
the  birthplace  of  Snorre,  is  not  far  from  Ply- 
mouth Rock,  and  was  within  the  range  of  the 
excursions  of  the  Mayflower  pilgrims.  It  may  be 
that  Eric  visited  the  shores  of  Plymouth  harbor 
during  the  winter.  In  the  spring  he  sailed  away 
to  Greenland. 

These  voyages  were  made  nearly  five  hundred 
years  before  Columbus  discovered  America!  So, 
after  all,  that  great  man  only  revived  knowledge 
which  the  world  had  forgotten.  But  it  does  not 
rob  him  of  his  laurels.  No  printing-press  had 
perpetuated  the  knowledge,  and  men  were  as 
ignorant  of  our  great  land  in  the  fifteenth  cen- 
tury as  they  were  in  the  eighth. 

After  Eric's  voyages  occasional  ships  might 
have  been  seen  in  American  waters  up  to  the  year 
1347  ;  but  no  colonies  were  formed. 

These  facts  are  obtained  from  the  "  Icelandic 
Annals  " — old  records  of  Iceland — which  careful 
investigators  of  history  have  of  late  years  exam- 
ined very  critically.  A  learned  Englifjli  writer 
says  of  them:  "The  authenticity  of  the  Icelandic 
manuscripts  seems  to  be  fully  esi:ablished  :"*  and 
a  recent  American  writer  says  of  them  :  "  These 
narratives  are  plain,  straightforward,  business-like 
accounts  of  actual  voyages  made  by  the  Northmen, 

*  "  The  Polar  Regions."  By  Sir  John  Richardson,  LL.D. 
P.  30.     Edinburgh.     i86r. 


14 


Arctic  Heroes. 


If 


'  !i 


11  M 


:|i 


in  the  tenth  and  eleventh  centuries,  to  Green- 
hind,  Newfoundhmd,  Nova  Scotia,  and  the  coast 
of  Massachusetts  and  Rhode  Island.  Within 
the  whole  range  of  literature,  of  discoveries  and 
adventures,  no  volumes  can  be  found  which 
have  more  abundant  internal  evidence  of  authen- 
ticity."* 

The  colony  of  Northmen  in  South  Greenland 
became  somewhat  important  in  spite  of  its  cold, 
its  never-melting  snow,  and  its  distance  from  the 
civilized  world.  These  old  annals,  which  describe 
the  voyages  into  the  arctic  regions,  refer  to  the 
whales  and  seals,  some  of  which  were  taken.  An 
account  of  the  way  they  caught  the  whales  in 
those  early  days  would  be  curious. 

The  Roman  Church  sent  to  the  colony  priests 
as  early  as  the  last  of  the  tenth  century.  We 
have  an  account  of  the  demand  by  the  Pope  of 
his  "  pence  "  from  these  colonists.  It  was  called 
''''  Peter  s  pence,''  but  we  never  could  see  what  the 
good  apostle  had  to  do  with  it,  nor  do  we  believe 
these  Northmen  could ;  but  they  paid  the  demand 
with  walrus  tusks. 

It  is  a  singular  fact  of  history  that  this  colony 
became  extinct  nearly  a  hundred  years  before 
Columbus  discovered  the  New  World,  and  its 
memory  was  at  the  time  well-nigh  lost  to  man- 
kind. "The  Black  Death,"  as  it  was  called,  which 
clothed  other  portions  of  the  world  in  mourning, 
is    held    accountable  in   part   for  its  decay  ;  war, 

*  "  Ancient  America."  By  John  D.  Baldwin.  New  York  : 
Harper  ^S:  Brothers.     1872. 


Northmen  Navigators. 


15 


Death's  ever  ready  helper,  liad  its  share  in  the 
work,  and,  it  is  surmised,  the  savage  Ksquimo 
added  the  finishing  stroke.  The  reader  will  hesi- 
tate to  charge  this  crime  upon  these  people  when 
he  has  made  their  intimate  acquaintance. 

Columbus'  successful  voyage  opened  a  new  era 
in  the  history  of  explorations.  It  began  from  that 
time  to  be  carried  on,  not  as  by  the  Northmen, 
by  reckless  men  on  their  own  responsibility,  but 
by  Governments,  and  well-organized  companies, 
through  able,  intelligent,  and  responsible  navi- 
gators. John  Cabot  was  such  a  navigator,  and  so 
was  his  son,  Sebastian.  They  we^ii  Venetians,  but 
lived  in  Bristol,  England,  and  were  sent  out  by  the 
king  and  merchants  of  that  country.  In  1497  fa- 
ther and  son  landed  on  the  coast  of  Labrador,  and 
then  voyaged  along  the  coast  of  America  to  Vir- 
ginia. The  next  year  the  son  made  a  northern 
voyage  alone  ;  afterward  he  made  an  attempt  to 
find  the  north-west  passage  into  the  Asiatic  seas — 
the  first,  it  is  said,  of  the  many  attempts  which 
have  occasioned  most  of  the  history  of  which  we 
are  writing.  He  expected  to  sail  quickly  to  the 
land  where  "spices  do  grow,"  but  instead  he 
found,  as  he  declares,  "  such  greate  heapes  of  ise 
which  I  durst  passe  no  further."  All  was  cold 
and  dreary — no  balmy  breezes  nor  fragrant  odors. 
Even  the  people  disgusted  him,  being  "  like  l)rute 
beasts  in  their  behavior,  dressed  in  beasts'  skins 
and  eating  raw  flesh."  Yet  he  meanly  kidnapped 
three  of  them  to  carry  home  as  specimens  !  How 
would  he  have  liked  it  if  the  Esquimo  had  stolen 


i6 


Arctic  Heroes. 


!1 


I  , 


!l!''  t 


*i! 


him  ?  Thus,  with  his  nose  turned  up  at  the  coun- 
try and  its  people,  yet  keeping  three  of  them  un- 
lawfully and  unmercifully  under  his  nose,  he  sailed 
away  South,  and  discovered  Florida.  The  natives 
of  this  country  would  not  have  been  as  amiable  as 
were  their  northern  brethren  had  an  attempt  been 
made  to  select  specimens  from  their  number  ! 

In  1500  Gaspar  CortereaJ,  a  gentleman  brought 
up  in  the  court  of  the  King  of  Portugal — a  man  of 
liarning  and  ability — sailed  into  the  arctic  seas  in 
command  of  many  ships,  made  important  dis- 
coveries for  hundreds  of  miles  above  Labrador, 
stole  a  few  natives,  and  returned  home.  The 
next  year  he  visited,  as  is  sup])osed,  Hudson 
Strait,  but  the  sea  avenged  the  crime  he  com- 
mitted against  the  people  whom  it  nourished,  and 
devoured  him  together  with  his  vessel.  One  of 
the  ships  returned  home  in  safety,  but  nothing 
was  ever  heard  of  Gaspar  or  his  crew. 

Gaspar  had  a  brother,  Miguel,  who  begged  the 
king  to  allov/  him  to  go  in  search  of  the  lost  one. 
Three  ships  were  put  under  his  command,  and  he 
sailed  for  the  region  about  Hudson  Strait.  On 
arriving  in  the  vicinity  of  the  probable  loss  of 
Caspar's  vessel,  the  three  ships  took  each  certain 
inlets  to  examine,  agreeing  upon  a  harbor  of  meet- 
ing. Two  of  them  met,  after  a  diligent  search. 
But  the  ship  commanded  by  Miguel  never  re- 
turned. The  sea  had,  doubtless,  swallowed  up 
both  him  and  his  men. 

There  was  still  another  brother  of  these  Cortereals 
whose  name  was  Vasco.     He  begged  to  be  sent  in 


T  ;  1 
'  t  i 


■M' 


Northmen  Navigaicrs. 


17 


search  of  the  missing  vessels.  But  the  king's  grief 
was  like  Jacob's,  bereaved  of  his  children.  He 
refused  to  let  Vasco  go,  but  sent  armed  vessels 
which  searched  in  vain.  Thus  ended  the  arctic 
explorations  in  connection  with  these  fimious  Cor- 
tereal  brothers — famous  more  for  misfortune  than 
success. 

The  next  expedition  was  sent  out  by  a  com- 
pany of  merchants.  Its  president  was  Sebastian 
Cabot,  now  an  old  man,  retired  on  a  comfortable 
pension  given  by  the  king  "  in  consideration  of 
the  good  and  acceptable  service  done  by  him." 
Three  ships  were  fitted  out,  and  the  command 
given  to  Sir  Hugh  Willoughby,  "  a  valiant  gentle- 
mane,"  under  whom  was  Richard  Chancelor,  "a 
man  of  great  estimation  for  the  many  good  parts 
of  wit  in  him."  The  task  given  them  to  perform 
was  to  find  a  north-east  passage  to  China  and  India, 
which,  of  course,  they  expected  to  perform.  They 
reached  Nova  Zembla,  and  were  forbidden  further 
progress  by  the  ice.  Sir  Willoughby  returned  to 
the  mouth  of  a  river  of  Lapland,  and  established 
his  winter-quarters.  The  ship  commanded  by 
Chancelor  pushed  forwafd,  reached  Archangel, 
and  opened  the  way  for  trade  with  Russia.  In 
the  spring  some  Russian  fishermen  visited  the 
quarters  of  Sir  Wil',  ghby,  and  found  both  him 
and  his  entire  company  frozen  to  death. 

But  such  disasters  did  not  retard  other  explora- 
tions, and  we  shall  next  describe  an  arctic /ever^ 


i8 


Arctic  Heroes. 


CHAPTER  II. 


AN    ARCTIC    GOLD    FEVER. 


;iii!!: 


1?' 

ii 

,1' 


FROBISHER  was  a  learned  and  able  man. 
He  lived  in  the  days  of  the  famous  maiden 
queen  of  England,  Elizabeth.  "  I'here  were 
giants  "  in  her  reign,  and  Frobisher  was  one  of 
them.  He  was  known  to  fame  in  his  day  as  a 
hero  in  the  defeat  of  the  great  Spanish  Armada, 
but  better  known  as  an  arctic  explorer. 

In  early  life  he  became  an  enthusiastic  admirer 
of  Sebastian  Cabot  and  his  adventures.  He  was 
sure  that  a  north-west  passage  to  India  could  be 
found,  and  that  he  was  the  man  to  find  it.  He 
declared  that  this  was  the  only  great  thing  which 
remained  to  be  done.  No  wonder,  then,  that  he 
gave  his  time  and  strength  to  secure  the  means  of 
accomplishing  it,  by  converting  others  to  his  own 
faith.  Fifteen  years  he  went  about  preaching 
"  Cathaia  "  as  the  promised  land,  and  the  north-west 
as  the  way  to  it.  Men's  ears  were  dull  and  their 
"  shoulders  "  cold  toward  him.  But  Frobisher's 
zeal  did  not  abate.  Opposition  is  the  flint  which 
strikes  fire  from  some  men.  The  sparks  of  en- 
thusiasm which  the  smitten  Frobisher  emitted 
soon  set  the  nation  on  fire.  In  1576  Ambrose 
Dudley,  Earl  of  Warwick,  took  up  his  cause. 
Under  his  patronage,  three  vessels  were  equipped 


Au  Arctic  Gold  Fever. 


19 


for  the  enterprise.  They  were  small  affairs  after 
all.  The  two  larger  ones  were;  about  thirty-five 
tons  each — hardly  equal  to  a  coast-wise  fishing 
vessel  of  the  present  day — and  the  third  was  an 
attendint,";  "  pinnace  "  of  ten  tons,  with  a  crew  of 
four  men.  London  flocked  to  the  banks  of  the 
Thames  to  see  the  magnificent  exploring  fleet 
sail.  Queen  Elizabeth,  from  her  window  at  Green- 
wich, waved  the  adventurers  a  cordial  farewell. 
Not  content  with  this,  she  sent  a  gentleman  of  the 
court  on  board  the  commander's  vessel  to  wish 
them  "  happie  successe,"  and  to  make  known  her 
"  goode  likings  of  their  doings." 

The  fleet  reached,  in  July,  what  its  commandor 
called  Friesland — prol)al)ly  the  southern  coast  of 
Greenland.  The  storm  king,  who  reigned  with 
vigor  in  this  region,  forbade  their  approach  to  the 
shore.  The  pinnace,  with  its  crew,  was  lost.  The 
"  Gabriel,"  one  of  the  other  vessels,  considering 
"  discretion  the  better  part  of  valor,"  scud  inglo- 
riously  away  and  reached  England  in  safety.  But 
Frobisher  was  true  to  himself  and  the  enterprise. 
Calm  when  the  tempest  raged  with  fury,  and  self- 
possessed  in  danger,  he  inspired  his  cre;^  with 
courage,  and  pressed  onward.  After  many  days 
he  reached  a  drearv  shore.  The  ice  soon  shut  in 
on  the  outside,  and  he  [)ushed  forward  into  a 
strait  to  which  he  gave  his  own  name.  He  soon 
espied  some  strange  beings  in  the  water,  which  he 
at  first  thought  were  porpoises.  Ikit  they  proved 
to  be  the  Esquimo  in  their  kayaks,  or  boats.  He 
describes  them  as  "savage  people,  like  to  Tartars, 


!  !■   I 


1 
,1 


20 


Arctic  Hkroes. 


Iiii! 


Ii'-I 


'    .1 


lit    ' 


■'B 


having  long  black  hair,  broad  faces,  and  flatte 
noses ;  the  women  being  marked  on  the  face  with 
blewe  streekes  downe  the  cheekes  and  round  the 
eyes,  and  wearing  bootes  made  of  seal-skins,  in 
shape  somewhat  resembling  the  shallops  of  Spain." 

But  a  sad  incident  soon  interrupted  all  inter- 
course between  the  natives  and  tlie  strangers,  A 
boat's  crew  of  five  men  went  ashore.  Their  long 
absence  caused  alarm.  Trumpets  were  bhjwn 
and  a  cannon  was  fired  to  call  them  back,  but  in 
vain.  Frobisher  hastily  and  unwisely  assumed 
that  they  had  been  violently  treated  by  the  Es- 
quimo.  His  method  of  revenge  was  equally  un- 
wise and  unworthy  of  his  character.  He  enticed 
one  of  them  alongside  ''  by  the  tinkling  of  a  bell." 
He  then  "  pluckt  him  up,  boat  and  all."  The 
poor  fellow  bit  his  ;ongue  in  his  rage  and  despair 
— "  bit  it  in  half  by  the  way." 

Frobisher  immediately  sailed  for  England,  where 
he  was  cordially  received,  though  we  cannot  see 
what  he  had  accomplished,  except  to  meanly  steal 
a  suspected,  but  unsuspecting,  confiding  native. 
A  little  incident  inflamed  this  cordiality  into  a 
wild  enthusiasm.  Each  of  the  adventurers  had 
brought  home  some  mementos  of  the  explora- 
tion, such  as  flowers,  grass,  and  stones.  Frobisher, 
among  other  things,  presented  his  friends  with 
specimens  of  the  minerals  of  the  discovered  land. 
One  piece,  as  the  story  goes,  was  thrown  into  the 
fire.  It  burned  for  some  time  and  was  then  taken 
out,  and  "being  (pienched  in  a  little  vinegar  it 
glistened  witli  a  bright  marquessct  of  gc)lde."     'J'he 


"5 


An  Arctic  Gold  Fever. 


21 


The 


fever  which  followed  was  much  like  the  California 
"gold  fever"  of  our  day,  or  the  diamond  fever  of 
the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  Frobisher  was  tlic  lion  of 
the  hour,  thougli  he  seems  no  way  responsible  for 
the  public  faith  in  the  character  of  his  exhibited 
minerals.  Some  "gold-fmers"  gave  opinions  to 
suit  the  {.eople's  wishes,  though  it  is  said  that  a 
responsible  assayer  declared  that  the  minerals  in 
(}uestion  did  not  contain  a  particle  of  the  precious 
ore.  But  the  steam  was  up,  the  frcn/ied  train 
which  was  to  return  laden  with  gold  was  set  in 
motion,  and  common  sense  was  run  off  the  track. 
Both  the  common  people  and  the  queen  and  her 
court  ;3hared  alike  in  the  excitement.  The  (jueen 
commanded  that  another  expedition  should  be 
immediately  put  in  readiness.  She  gave  her  "  lov- 
ing friend,  Martin  Frobisher"  very  full  directions 
for  his  guidance.  In  some  of  diese  she  had  an 
eye  to  other  interests  than  those  of  discovery,  or 
even  those  of  golden  treasures.  She  assumed 
that  he  would  again  attempt  to  land  on  the  stormy 
coast  of  "  Friesland."  So  she  directed  him  to 
take  certain  condemned  persons  and  leave  them 
there.  This  little  service  would  relieve  her  of 
some  troublesome  subjects,  and  he  might,  as  a 
matter  of  good-will,  "  speak  with  them  if  ])ossible 
on  his  return  voyage,"  giving  them  at  the  first 
such  food  and  weapons  as  he  could  well  spare, 
duly  instructing  them  to  conduct  themselves  well 
and  get  the  good-will  of  the  natives.  She  further 
directed  him  to  bring  home  a  few  of  the  natives 
as  specimens.     As  they  were   not  to  be  returned, 


V 


22 


Arctic  Heroes. 


''ii 


•  'ii 


■1!  ''^l 


H 


*it! 


and  their  consent  to  the  transportation  was  not  to 
be  taken  into  the  account,  he  was  cautioned  to  be 
careful  where  and  how  tliey  were  taken  away. 
There  is  one  excuse  for  sucli  transactions,  which, 
tliough  poor,  is  the  best  we  know;  it  was  in 
accordance  with  the  spirit  of  the  times. 

liut  a  better  suggestion  from  the  (jueen  was  this  : 
He  sliould,  if  possil)le,  leave  some  i)ersons  to  win- 
ter on  the  golden  shores  of  the  new  country. 
I'hey  were  to  be  instructed  to  make  notes  of  the 
state  of  the  country,  nature  of  the  air,  and  observe 
what  time  of  the  year  the  coast  was  free  from  ice. 
He  was  to  leave  them  well  supplied  with  food 
and  arms,  with  a  "  pinnace,"  and  all  other  things 
necessary  for  their  comfort  and  safety.  It  does 
not  api)ear  that  these  last  suggestions  were  acted 
upon  by  the  explorer.  The  voyage,  hovv(;ver,  was 
made.  A  little  island  in  what  has  been  known  as 
Frobisher  Strait,  called  Countess  of  Warwick  Isle, 
was  selected,  and  two  hundred  tons  of  the  mineral 
were  brought  back  to  the  delighted  queen,  and  to 
her  equally  delighted  people.  She  called  the  new 
land  "  Meta  Incognita,"  and  declared  that  this 
voyage  greatly  increased  her  hopes  that  the  north- 
west passage  to  India  would  be  found. 

A  new  expedition  was  immediately  put  in  sail- 
ing order.  One  hundred  persons,  representing 
various  trades  and  callings,  were  appointed  as  set- 
tlers. Fifteen  vessels  were  to  convey  them  to 
the  goodly  land,  Frobisher  being  commander. 
Twelve  of  the  shi])s  were  to  return  with  the  ore, 
and  three  were  to  remain  with  the  colonists. 


^ 


An  Arctic  Gold  Fever. 


23 


The  expedition  sailed,  attended  with  the  j^reat 
expectations  of  the  nation,  and  a  heroism  of  its 
niL-n  worthy  a  better  aim.  Danj^ers  and  distresses 
beset  them  during  the  voyage.  One  vessel,  carry- 
ing the  materials  for  a  large  wooden  house  for  the 
use  of  the  colonists  on  their  arrival,  was  crushed 
by  icebergs  and  sunk.  Another,  under  cover  of 
the  night,  had  turned  her  prow  homeward,  and 
sailed  for  England.  The  rest  were  tossed  amid 
*'  incredible  pain  and  peril."  At  last  a  fresh  breeze 
cleared  away  the  ice,  and  they  sailed  through  a 
clear  sea  and  soon  sighted  land,  which  they  suj)- 
posed  to  be  near  Frobisher  Strait.  iUit  soon  this 
dawn  of  hope  was  followed  by  the  darkness  of 
despair.  A  fog  envelojjcd  them,  and  the  vessels 
were  sej)arated,  each  lost  to  the  proper  course. 
They  were  driven  about  at  random,  while  their 
ears  were  saluted  by  the  dismal  sound  of  ice 
crushing  against  the  ship,  and  of  colliding  ice- 
bergs. 

When  at  last  the  sky  became  clear,  and  the 
scattered  ships  reunited,  the  pilot  confessed  that 
he  knew  not  where  they  were.  But  Frobisher 
declared  that  he  knew  the  coast,  and  that  they 
were  all  right.  But  they  failed,  after  many  at- 
tempts, to  effect  a  landing.  The  natives  refused 
to  be  conciliated,  which  is  not  strange,  if  the  policy 
of  former  expeditions  had  been  practiced  among 
them.  We  shall  see  that  later  explorers  found 
them  kindly  disposed. 

Thus  hindered  in  his  main  design,  Frobisher  fell 
back  upon  the  passion  of  his  life,  and  proposed  to 


K 


24 


Arctic  Hi:i<of,s. 


!||;!.i  .'I 


the  other  commanders  to  abandon  the  colonization 
scheme  and  sail  on  a  voyage  of  discovery.  lUit 
they  rejected  the  j)roposnl. 

Much  time  had  been  wasted  by  these  l)affled 
efforts  and  divided  counsels,  and  their  jjrovisions 
began  to  fail,  while  at  the  same  time  the  vessels 
were  crippled  by  their  icy  foe ;  orders  were  there- 
fore given  to  spread  sail  for  home.  No  settlers 
had  been  landed,  no  gold  obtained,  not  even  the 
deceitful  ore  of  former  voyages,  and  no  discoveries 
had  been  made. 

Thus  ended  the  arctic  gold  fever.  Frobisher 
fell  into  neglect,  but  did  not  lose  his  credit,  nor 
the  people  all  of  their  faith  in  northern  gold 
mines;  for  they  were  slow  to  believe  that  he  had 
brought  home  only  "fool's  gold" — a  micaceous 
sand — and  that  "  it  is  not  all  gold  that  glitters." 


.i 


u 

1 


Pnils  by  Sea, 


n 


CHAPTER    III. 


PKRILS    BY   SEA. 


FAIT-URE  to  secure  any  substantial  success 
tlid  not  restrain  the  zeal  of  the  queen,  nor 
the  spirit  of  entL'r[)rise  in  other  explorers.  Imme- 
diately on  the  completion  of  Frohisher's  last  voy- 
age, Sir  Mumphrey  Ciilbert  obtained  from  l''.liza- 
beth  full  power  to  undertake  a  voyage  of  discov- 
ery in  the  western  waters,  and  to  colonize  such 
land  as  was  not  already  claimed  by  some  Christian 
sovereign. 

Sir  Humphrey  was  a  man  of  mental  force  and 
culture.  He  had  studied  the  north-west  passage 
theory,  and  given  to  the  world-  his  conclusions  in 
well-written  pages.  He  belonged  to  a  distin- 
guished family,  being  half-brother  to  Sir  Walter 
Raleigh.  His  brother  Adrian  was  already  at  the 
head  of  an  influential  company  for  discovery  in 
the  north-wf:st. 

The  queen's  terms  with  Sir  Humphrey  were 
very  generous.  He  was  to  have  for  his  own,  for- 
ever, all  the  heathen  countries  which  he  might 
discover,  to  exercise  absolute  authority  over  them, 
only  that  they  should  do  homage  to  his  sovereign. 
Exactly  where  the  distinguishing  line  was  to  run 
between  the  discover's  absolute  rule  and  due 
homage  to  England's  queen,  is  not  defined  in  his 


t. 


lil-  1l 


26 


Arctic  Heroes. 


H.l 

,.t 

■  ;  t 

ri 
il,  ^,'<t 


patent.  It  was  expected  probably  that  both  would 
exist  mainly  on  paper.  The  queen,  however, 
added  a  more  substantial  qualification.  Sir  Hum- 
phrey was  to  pay  her  one  fifth  of  all  revenues  the 
countries  in  question  might  yield.  The  right  of 
the  natives  to  the  land  of  their  fathers  was,  of 
course,  not  considered.  It  was  to  be  a  blessing 
great  enough  for  them  to  be  owned  and  governed 
by  the  enlightened  strangers. 

Sir  Humphrey  left  F^ngland  June,  1583,  with 
five  vessels.  They  had  not  been  long  at  sea  be- 
fore a  fatal  sickness  occurred  among  the  crew  of 
one  of  them,  and  it  returned  to  England.  With 
his  remaining  fleet  the  commander  landed  on 
NeW'foundland  and  took  possession  in  the  name  of 
his  queen.  A  very  cool  beginning  of  ownership 
in  the  new  world,  as  he  was  not  even  the  discov- 
erer of  this  land. 

A  Saxon  miner  of  the  expedition  soon  reported 
that  he  had  found  a  silver  mine.  But  lands  and 
precious  ore  could  not  stay  the  progress  of  dis- 
ease. Another  vessel  was  sent  home  with  the 
sick.  The  exploring  scjuadron  consisted  now  of  the 
"  Delight,"  the  largest  and  best  vessel,  the  "  Gold- 
en Hind,"  and  the  "  Squirrel,"  a  small  affair  of 
ten  tons,  in  which  the  commander  himself  sailed. 
With  these  he  put  to  sea  the  20th  of  August.  On 
the  ninth  day  out  a  tempest  came  down  upon 
them,  and  the  "  Delight"  and  "  Golden  Hind"  were 
driven  among  rocks  and  shoals.  The  "  Delight  " 
was  on  the  lead,  and  struck  a  quicksand,  in  which 
her  prow  was  held  firmly.  Her  stern  was  soon 


Perils  by  Sea. 


27 


T  would 
owever, 
r  Hiim- 
lues  the 
■ight  of 
was,  of 
blessing 
overned 

53,  with 
sea  be- 
crew  of 
.  With 
ded  on 
name  of 
/nership 
discov- 

eported 
ds  and 
of  dis- 
th  the 
of  the 
'  Gold- 
fair  of 
sailed. 
On 
upon 
i"  were 
elight  " 
which 
IS  soon 


it 


beaten  to  fragments  by  tlie  waves.  When  the 
ship  struck  her  boat  was  afloat  at  the  stern,  hav- 
ing been  hoisted  out  the  day  before  to  pick  up 
some  birds  which  had  been  shot  from  the  deck  of 
the  vessel.  Into  this  a  part  of  the  crew  entered. 
All  could  not  enter;  and  the  (juestion,  severely 
testing  the  unselfish  heroism  of  every  one,  was 
pressed  upon  them  :  Who  shall  remain  by  the  ship  ? 
Captain  Browne,  who  had  been  transferred  from 
the  "  Swallow  "  into  the  "  Delight,"  at  once  set  the 
noble  example  of  preferring  the  safety  of  others  to 
himself.  Others  followed  this  exami)le,  and  six- 
teen only,  including  Mr.  Clarke,  the  master,  escaped 
in  the  boat.  The  captain  and  one  hundred  men 
calmly  awaited  their  fate,  and  perished  on  the 
breaking  up  of  the  vessel. 

Those  who  were  in  the  boat  were  scarcely  to  be 
congratulated.  Overladen,  and  without  provis- 
ions, they  drifted  before  the  furious  tempest. 
The  nights  were  starless,  and  the  darkness  awful. 
At  the  end  of  two  days  it  seemed  that  the  boat 
could  not  longer  float  in  the  heavy  sea,  and  one  of 
the  sailors,  by  the  name  of  Headly,  proposed  that 
they  draw  lots,  and  that  the  four  getting  the  four 
shortest  lots  be  thrown  overboard,  to  increase  the 
chance  of  the  safety  of  the  rest.  To  this  proposal 
the  master  gave  an  emphatic  "  No  !  "  "  We  will 
all  live,"  he  exclaimed,  "  or  die  together  I  " 

Four  days  passed  away,  and  no  relief  came. 
On  the  fifth,  Headly  and  one  other  man  died. 
All  except  Clarke  were  in  despair,  and  cried  for 
death  to  end  their  misery.     He  calmly  exhorted 


k 

i^ 

t 

t    • 

\ 

\ 

i 

! 

1 

; 

1 

1 
t 

■  i 
t 

VI 


frt 


28 


Arctic  Heroes. 


them  still  to  trust  the  Divine  arm  and  hope  for 
deliverance.  On  the  sixth  day,  when  hope  seemed 
to  bo  gone,  he  boldly  declared  that  the  morrow 
would  bring  deliverance,  adding,  "If  it  does  not, 
throw  me  overboard."  About  noon  of  the  seventh 
day  the  shore  of  Newfoundland  was  seen.  In  the 
middle  of  the  afternoon  they  landed,  with  diffi- 
culty creeping  from  the  boats.  Their  first  act, 
most  fittingly,  was  to  fall  on  their  knees  and  thank 
God  for  their  deliverance.  The  stronger  then 
brought  water  from  a  brook,  and  all  quenched 
their  thirst.  They  found  near  them  a  good  supply 
of  wild  berries,  and,  building  s.  hut  of  boughs, 
they  remained  on  shore  a  few  days  and  were 
sufiiciently  recruited  to  row  quietly  along  the 
shore,  landing  for  water  and  their  supply  of  fruit. 
Soon  a  Spanish  whaler  picked  them  up  and  landed 
them  at  a  port  in  the  Bay  of  ]]iscay.  They  trav- 
eled on  foot  through  France,  and  arri^'ed  in  En- 
gland the  latter  part  of  T583,  to  tell  the  sad  result 
of  their  hopefully  begun  expedition. 

We  left  the  "Golden  Hind"  in  the  midst  of  the 
storm  which  proved  so  disastrous  to  the  Delight. 
She  beat  off  from  the  rocks  among  which  they 
were  entangled  and  reached  the  open  sea.  All  of 
both  vessels  non  united  in  requesting  the  com- 
mander to  return  to  England.  In  no  wise  daunted 
by  his  misfortunes,  he  agreed  to  do  this,  after  se- 
curing a  pledge  from  his  men  to  sail  with  him  on 
another  north-west  expedition  the  next  spring. 

Having  spread  their  sails  for  the  homeward  pas- 
sage, Sir  Humphrey  several  times  left  tue  "  Squirrel" 


,f 


Perils  by  Si  a. 


29 


to  spend  an  hour  on  board  the  "  Gohlen  Hind."  As 
his  little  craft  was  overloaded,  both  below  and  on 
deck,  and  was  not  considered  safe,  the  captain  of 
the  "  Hind  "  besought  him  to  remain  in  his  ship. 
*'  No,"  says  the  noble  commander,  "  if  there  are 
perils  ahead  I  will  share  them  with  those  in  whose 
company  I  have  passed  tlirough  so  many."  Once 
he  came  on  board  the  "  Hind  "  to  have  an  injured 
foot  dressed  by  its  surgeon.  His  condition  offered 
a  good  occasion  for  him  to  remain.  But  neither 
his  own  comfort,  nor  a  feast  prepared  by  the 
Hind's  officers  and  crew,  could  entice  him  from 
his  post  of  danger.  Soon  after  his  return  a  storm 
arose.  In  the  afternoon  of  the  day  it  commenced 
Sir  Humphrey  was  seen  sitting  in  the  stern  of  his 
little  imperiled  craft  with  a  book  in  his  hand. 
He  shouted,  "  Courage,  my  lads,  we  are  as  near 
heaven  at  sea  as  on  land."  They  were  his  last 
known  words,  '['hat  night  the  "  Squirrel's  "  light 
was  seen  for  a  few  hours  glimmering  in  the  dark- 
ness, and  rising  and  falling  with  the  waves.  Soon 
that  disappeared,  and  the  career  of  the  brave  little 
ship,  with  its  noble  commander  and  crew,  was 
closed.  The  "  Golden  Hind  "  returned  alone,  to 
anticipate  in  part  the  recital  of  the  sad  tale  of  the 
rescued  boat's  crew. 

The  next  English  explorer,  John  Davis,  was 
more  chary  of  perils  by  sea.  He  was  willing, 
however,  in  order  to  find  the  much-desired  golden 
gate,  or  rather  the  north-west  gate  to  the  gold 
and  diamonds  of  the  east,  to  subject  himself  to  a 
reasonable  amount  of  peril. 


!l 


30 


Arctic  Heroes. 


Some  '*  divers  worshipful  merchants  of  London," 
not  deterred  by  treasures  already  lost  in  similar 
adventures,  fitted  out  and  put  Davis  in  command 
of  two  vessels — the  "Sunshine  "  and  "Moonsliine." 

They  sailed  from  the  Thames  in  June,  1585, 
and  in  six  weeks  they  were  on  the  coast  of  Green- 
land. Their  early  and  first  peril  was  from  a 
dense,  long-continued  fog  bank.  During  its 
gloomy  darkness  they  were  affrighted  by  terrific 
grindings  and  loud  roarings,  wiiich  greatly  [);iz- 
zled  them.  They  could  not  be  the  crash  of  thun- 
der, nor  the  sound  of  distant  waterfalls  breaking 
through  icy  restraints.  Ikit  they  wxM-e  soon  able 
to  explain  these  intimidating  sounds,  for  the 
grinding  together  of  huge  masses  of  ice  soon 
became  a  familiar,  if  not  a  pleasant,  sight  and 
sound. 

When  the  fog  cleared  away,  and  Davis  and  his 
men  were  able  to  view  the  shore,  they  were  not 
greatly  comforted.  He  says  :  "  The  country  was 
as  dreary  as  it  is  possible  to  conceive.  The  loath- 
some view  of  the  shore,  and  the  irksome  noise  of 
the  ice,  were  such  that  they  bred  strange  conceits 
among  us,  so  that  we  supposed  the  place  to  be 
waste,  and  void  of  any  sensible  or  vegetable  crea- 
tures.    So  we  named  the  same — Desolation^ 

But  they  found  even  these  regions  not  all  deso- 
lation. Sailing  west,  he  discovered  a  clear  sea, 
with  "  gieen  and  pleasant  isles  bordering  on  the 
shore."  Even  the  natives  smiled  upon  them,  and 
they  entered  into  trade  for  furs. 

A  favoring  wind  springing  up,  Davis  spread  his 


1 
i 


i 


1 


f 
'If 


1 


Perils  by  Sea. 


3^ 


sails  and  steered  vicross  an  expanse  of  water  until 
they  rounded  a  cape  in  great  spirits,  calling  the 
point  of  land  "  The  Cape  of  God's  Mercy."  There 
was  no  ice,  and  the  commander  thought  that  the 
way  "to  Cathay  "  was  found  at  last.  "Why,"  he 
exclaims,  "  the  water  is  of  the  very  color,  nature, 
and  quality  of  the  ocean  !  "  Sailing  on  over  two 
hundred  miles  in  the  happy  delusion,  he  was  con- 
firmed in  it  by  their  arrival  at  a  cluster  of  inviting 
islands.  But  the  old  fog  banks  soon  turned  the 
current  of  their  thoughts.  A  storm  arose  and  the 
sea  became  boisterous.  Not  liking  fogs  and 
storms,  Davis  (}uickly  sailed  to  Engkmd,  hoping 
to  come  into  those  regions  again  another  day. 

Twice  again  he  visited  the  same  coast,  making 
surveys  of  the  western  coast  of  Greenland,  and 
making  the  worh!  acquainted  with  the  waters  now 
known  as  Davis  Strait,  and  thus  o})ening  a  wide 
door  for  those  who  might  follow.  He  had  not, 
however,  filled  his  ships  with  gold,  nor  sailed  to 
Cathay  through  the  icy  north,  and  so  he  gave  way 
to  other  and  newly-risen  stars. 


!:f 


32 


Arctic  Heroes. 


'  .1 


■il 

u 


I.  ' 


?f  i; 


!i'i 


:;ii 


SI 


iii' 


CHAPTER    IV. 


ICE-BOUND. 


Wnn^E  England  was  sending  her  heroic 
men  to  arctic  regions,  other  nations  were 
on  the  alert.  Among  them  none  were  more  en- 
terprising than  the  Hollanders.  We  give  an 
example  of  the  heroism  of  the  great  Dutch  com- 
manders. \ 

In  1596  William  Barentz  sailed  into  the  Avaters 
between  Spitzbergen  and  Nova  Zcmbla.  It  was 
his  third  voyage  into  the  frozen  regions,  yet  the 
perils  he  was  now  called  to  face  were  enough  to 
make  even  his  well-tried  courage  fail.  The  ice 
drifts  came  crowding  around  them  until  it  had 
made  escape  impossible.  He  says  :  "  It  made  all 
the  hair  of  our  heads  to  rise  upright  with  fear,  and 
forced  us,  in  great  cold,  poverty,  misery,  and  grief, 
.to  stay  all  that  winter."  But  they  strove  manfully 
against  such  a  dreaded  necessity. 

On  the  nth  of  September  all  hope  of  relief  was 
given  up,  and  a  council  was  called  in  which  the 
question  was  discussed  how  they  might  best  de- 
fend themselves  against  wild  beasts  and  the  cold. 
They  finally  determined  to  build  a  hut  upon  the 
land,  and  "  so  to  commit  themselves  into  the  tuition 
I     God." 

This  being  determined,  the  next  question  was, 


Ice-Boiuid, 


33 


ler  heroic 
tions  were 
:  more  en- 
:  give  an 
utch  com- 

tlie  waters 
a.  It  was 
IS,  yet  the 
enough  to 

The  ice 
til   it  had 

made  all 

fear,  and 
and  grief, 

manfully 

relief  was 
tvhich  the 
best  de- 

the  cold. 

upon  the 
he  tuition 


r 


Of  what  shall  our  hut  be  made  ?  No  trees  grew 
on  the  shore  upon  which  they  had  l)een  cast. 
Looking  about  for  material,  they  stumbled  ui)on  a 
good  (juantity  of  drift-wood.  They  joyfully  re- 
garded this  needed  article  as  coming  through  the 
direct  interposition  of  (jod.  \\'eli  did  Barentz 
write  :  "We  were  much  comforted,  being  in  good 
hope  that  God  would  show  us  some  further  favor. 
The  wood  served  us  not  only  to  build  our 
house,  but  also  to  burn  during  the  whole  winter, 
\\'ithout  it,  without  all  doubt,  we  had  died  there 
miserably  with  extreme  cold." 

They  at  once  set  to  work  to  build  their  house, 
But  they  had  not  learned  arctic  house  building. 
Some  put  the  nails  they  i)urj)Osed  to  use  between 
their  lips,  and  when  they  removed  them  the  skin 
was  taken  too,  and  the  pain  was  as  if  they  had 
been  burned.  The  bears,  also,  troubled  them.  The 
reader  will  wonder  at  this,  as  he  will  at  this  party's 
hut  constructing  and  other  management,  when  he 
has  followed  later  explorers  into  the  arctic  regions. 
White  men  had  not  yet  learned  of  the  simple 
Esquimo  how  to  live  amid  ijerpetual  ice  and  in- 
tense cold,  and  to  regard  the  visit  of  the  bear  as 
the  good  gift  of  the  Great  Spirit.  A  bear  troubling 
a  whole  ship's  crew,  when  his  fur  and  meat  were 
just  the  needed  articles,  and  then  walking  auda- 
ciously away,  would  have  made  an  Esquimo 
woman  shrug  her  shoulders,  and,  with  her  peojjle's 
peculiar  laugh,   to  say,  "White    men   all  same  as 


bov 


tl 


I  ^Si' 


When  the  hut  was  finished   the  needed  stores 


■     1 

,          1 

Jh 

ill 

I 

l» 

' 

i 

> 

( 

■II! 


:     I 


<!'= 


^IjH 


34 


Arctic  Heroes. 


were  removed  lo  it  Honi  llie  shi[j.  All  this  time 
the  oi)en  water  was  within  "  arrow-shot  "  of  the 
vessel  !  Dr.  Kane  would  have  found  a  way  to 
"cut  her  out,"  and  thus  to  have  escaped. 

When  the  cracks  in  their  house  were  chinked 
with  the  weed  they  found  about  the  shore,  and  all 
their  goods  removed  from  the  vessel,  they  "  set  up 
the  dial  and  made  the  clock  strike." 

It  was  now  November,  the  sun  had  ceased  to 
appear  above  the  horizon,  and  the  long  winter  set 
in.  Regulations  for  the  company  were  adopted, 
and  each  assigned  his  daily  round  of  duty.  'J'he 
dignity  of  the  officers  was  duly  regarded,  the  mas- 
ter and  pilot  being  exempted  from  cutting  wood 
and  "  such  rude  labors."  Habits  which  concerned 
health  were  wisely  regarded.  The  surgeon  con- 
trived to  make  a  bath  tub  of  a  wine-jjipe,  in 
wiiich  all  bathed  in  turn,  and  at  stated  times,  and 
were  much  benefited.  Traps  were  sometimes  set 
for  the  foxes  that  came  skulking  round ;  foxes, 
however,  it  would  seem,  were  too  cunning  to  be 
caught. 

The  snow  shut  them  up  for  days  together,  and 
the  cold  stopped  their  clock,  so  that  the  slow- 
moving  hours  were  counted  only  by  the  hour-glass. 
Their  only  light  was  the  economically  supplied 
fire.  Ice  formed  in  their  sleeping  berths,  and  the 
smoke  and  impure  air  were  continual  annoyances. 
Linen  froze  the  instant  it  was  taken  from  hot 
water.  The  painful  stillness  without  was  occa- 
sionally broken  by  the  thunder  of  icebergs  as  they 
were   rent  asunder,  or  brought  into  sudden  con- 


,1 


I 


Ice-Bound. 


35 


111 


hot 
occa- 
s  they 
con- 


41 


tact.  At  other  times  tlie  bark  of  the  fox  or  the 
growl  of  the  bear  would  fall  on  their  ears.  W  hen 
not  employed  in  cooking  many  spent  their  time  in 
bed. 

No  wonder,  in  view  of  all  these  discomforts,  at 
the  dismal  tone  of  the  following  extract  from  the 
commander's  diary  !  "It  was  foul  weather  again, 
with  an  easterly  wind  and  extreme  cold,  almost 
not  to  be  endured  ;  whereupon  we  looked  pitifully 
one  upon  the  other,  being  in  great  fear  that  if  the 
extremity  of  the  cold  grew  to  be  more  and  more, 
we  should  all  die  there  with  cold;  for  what  fire 
we  made  it  would  not  warm  us.  Yea,  and  our 
sack,  which  is  so  hot,  was  frozen  very  hard,  so  that 
when  we  were  every  man  to  have  his  part  we  were 
forced  to  melt  it  in  the  fire.  We  had  of  this, 
every  second  day,  about  half  a  pint  to  a  man.  At 
other  times  we  had  water,  which  agreed  not  well 
with  the  cold,  and  we  needed  not  to  cool  it  with 
snow  or  ice;  but  we  were  forced  to  melt  it  out  of 
the  snow." 

On  the  7th  of  December  they  Nvent  on  board 
the  ship,  and  brought  to  the  hut  "some  coals." 
Of  these  they  made  a  cheerful  fire,  in  which  they 
for  a  while  rejoiced.  But  the  escai)ing  gas  gave 
them  all  a  sudden  dizziness,  and  one  fainted. 
Evidently  they  came  near  being  suffocated.  The 
door  was  opened,  and  they  felt  better ;  and  then 
"  a  glass  of  wine  was  served  out  to  each  man, 
to  recover  him  completely." 

On    the    19th   of  November    they   tried   to    get 

some  cheer  from   the  fact  that  the   time  of   the 
3 


•m 


36 


Arctic  Heroes. 


11 


sun's  absence  was  lialf  expired.  The  seamen's 
shoes  had  now  frozen  so  lliat  they  could  not  wear 
them,  and  tliey  made  tliem  slippers  of  skins,  and 
wore  several  pair  of  socks  at  once. 

Their  stock  of  wood  was  expended  by  the  mid- 
dle of  January,  but  it  was  re])lenished  by  weary 
digging  in  the  snow.  Going  to  the  ship  one  day, 
a  fox  was  discovered  in  the  ca1)in  ;  he  was  caught, 
carried  to  the  hut,  his  flesh  eaten,  and  his  skin 
made  into  warm  slippers. 

On^"  Twelfth  Night" — a  national  holiday — they 
tried  to  be  merry.  From  their  scanty  allowance 
of  wine  they  had  saved  an  extra  ];ortion  for  this 
occasion.  When  mentioning  this  wine  they  add  : 
"We  fancied  ourselves  at  home  in  Holland."  If 
they  were  indebted  to  me  wine  for  this  "fancy," 
wine,  true  to  its  character,  was  to  them  a  cruel 
"mocker."  We  think  this  was  even  so,  for  they 
"  soaked  biscuit  in  wine,  drank  to  the  three  kings 
of  Cologne,  and  comforted  themselves  as  if  they 
had  been  at  a  great  feast."  They  drew  lots  to  see 
who  should  be  king  of  Nova  Zembla,  and  the  lot 
fell  to  the  gunner.  It  is  said,  in  fact,  that  they 
were  as  happy  as  if  they  had  been  in  their  own 
houses  among  the  dykes  of  Holland.  But  where 
wine  presides  at  the  board,  headache  and  sleepless 
nights  follow,  and  "sweet  home  ""  dissolves  like 
the  baseless  fabric  of  a  vision." 

The  next  few  days  were  very  stormy,  and,  no 
doubt,  very  "blue."  They  remained  in  their  hut 
and  heard  the  foxes  fearlessly  running  over  the 
roof.     The  bears  passed  in  and  out  of  their  dc- 


ii 


.^ 


Ice- Boh  ml. 


n 


mgs 
they 
:o  see 
lot 
they 
own 
here 
)less 
like 

d,  no 
r  hut 
the 
r  de- 


serted ship.  The  cold  grew  more  intense.  With 
their  feet  to  the  fire,  their  socks  burned  before  the 
flesh  felt  tlie  warmth,  and  their  backs  were  cov- 
ered with  frost. 

On  the  24th  of  Janiia'-y  three  of  the  men,  going 
to  the  sea-side  toward  the  south,  caught  a  glim])se, 
as  they  thought,  of  the  sun  above  tlie  hori/on. 
Ihit  their  connnander  doubted  the  good  news,  as 
the  sun  was  not  due  by  his  reckoning.  Many 
days  following  were  densely  cloudy,  and  they  ol)- 
tained  no  additir)nal  evidence  of  his  welcome 
return. 

Though  the  cheerful  sun  came  not  to  the  ice- 
bound  and  suffering  wretches,  death  entered  their 
abode.  On  the  26th  they  carried  one  of  their 
number  out  to  his  deep-snow  grave.  lie  had  long 
been  sick,  an.l  now,  around  his  cold  remains,  they 
read  "cert^.m  chapters  from  Ood's  Word,"  and 
mournfully  chanted  their  psalms. 

A  polar  bear,  which  had,  no  doubt,  during  the 
winter,  observed  the  ways  of  these  strangers,  and 
not  l)eing  attacked,  very  naturally  resolved  to  at- 
tack them.  He  came  boldly  up  to  their  dwelling. 
They  attempted  to  shoot  him,  but  their  "match- 
locks "  missed  fire.  The  bear,  despising  the  arms- 
length  fighting  of  the  white  faces,  made  a  rush  at 
the  door  of  the  hut.  'J'he  men  rushed  in,  and 
held  it  fast  on  the  inside,  having  in  tiieir  flight, 
dropped  the  bar  by  which  they  usually  secured  it. 
After  trying  to  force  it  the  bear  walked  away,  but 
suon  returned,  mounted  the  roof,  and  roared  furi- 
ously for  admission.     The  terror   of  the  inmates 


1 

t  i 

i 

'M 

1 

%. 

If 

1 

"l 

1 
t 

i' 

38 


Arctic  Ili'.kor.s. 


was  now  very  ^rcat.  If  he  sliould  break  tlirough, 
there  woiihl  I)c  just  one  too  many  in  tlicir  rk;sc 
<iuartcrs.  P>ut  the  hear  contented  himself,  by 
necessity,  as  he  couhl  not  break  through,  with 
"  sound  and  fury,"  and  w  ent  away. 

On  the  4th  of  May  the  open  sea  came  within 
five  hundred  paces  of  the  ship.  'I'liey  decided, 
however,  not  to  wait  tlic  chances  of  being  able  to 
float  their  ship,  but  resolved  to  venture  their  safety 
in  their  boats,  They  had  a  voyage  before  theni 
of  many  hundred  miles  over  a  cold  and  stormy 
sea.  They  re))aired  their  two  boats,  and,  on  the 
13th  of  June,  the  forlorn  i)arty,  twelve  in  number, 
left  that  "desert,  irksome,  fearful,  and  cold  coun- 
try." They  were  destitute  of  every  comfort,  and 
of  ahnost  all  the  common  necessities  of  existence. 
Soon  three  of  them  died,  and  were  committed  to 
the  dee]) ! 

After  many  weary  days  they  came  in  sight  of  a 
long-desired  cai)e.  When  the  good  news  that  the 
ca])e  was  in  sight  was  shouted  from  the  deck, 
Piarentz  was  below  examining  a  chart  which  I)e 
Veer,  one  of  his  companions,  had  made  of  the 
coasts  they  had  seen  on  their  voyage.  He  had 
become  very  weary,  and  desired  to  be  carried  on 
deck  that  he  might  see  the  land. 

Not  long  after  the  sad  tidings  was  communicated 
from  the  other  boat  that  Claes  Andriz  was  dying. 
"  I  shall  soon  follow  Andriz  !  "  said  Barentz.  "  De 
Veer,"  he  added,  "give  me  something  to  drink." 

He  took  the  cup  from  De  Veer,  drank,  fell  back 
into  his  arms,  and  died. 


IM! 


Icc-Bouiiii. 


39 


I'he  comjjany  in  the  olhcr  boat  were,  at  the 
saive  lime,  closiiij;  the  eyes  in  death  ot'  Anchi/.. 

The  two  boats  were  now  in  an  ahnosi  de^perato 
condition.  'I'heir  commander  had  been  tlieir  prin- 
cipal navigator,  from  his  superior  knowledj^e  and 
experience.  His  courage  and  hopeful  temper  had 
been  the  inspiration  of  their  flagging  si)irits.  'I'hey, 
however,  manfully  contended  against  the  fearful 
difticulties ;  and  in  Sei»teml.)er,  having  been  nearly 
three  months  o\\  board  their  frail  boats,  they 
reached  the  coast  of  Lapland.  They  say:  "We 
now  saw  some  trees  on  the  river  side,  \\\\v  \\  coiii-- 
fortcd  us  and  made  us  glad,  as  if  we  then  had 
come  into  a  new  world  ;  for  in  all  the  time  we  had 
been  out  we  had  not  seen  any  trees." 

Having  arrivetl  at  Coola,  which  we  understand 
to  be  a  ])ort  of  La[jland,  they  fmished  a  voyage  of 
eleven  hundred  and  forty-three  miles,  and  [mt 
their  boats  in  the  "  Merchant's  H(nise,  us  a  sign 
and  token  of  their  deliverance." 

In  a  few  weeks  they  sailed  for  Amsterdam  in  a 
Dutch  ship.  They  api)eared  before  their  friends 
in  the  dress  they  had  worn  during  their  perils, 
and  were  received  as  those  who,  being  lost,  were 
found.  They  were  honored  and  feasted.  The 
common  people  heard  their  story  with  wonder, 
and  they  were  invited  to  repeat  it  before  the  min- 
isters of  foreign  States  at  the  Hague. 


40 


Arctic  Heroes. 


CHAPTER  V. 


SET    ADRIFT. 


n 
'*»■ 


T 


HE  next 


an 


d  h 


Hudson.     T 


prom  I  n 
onors  of  a 
kluscovy 


'im 


t  candidate  for  the  i)crils 
ic  exploration  was  Henry 
wealth-seeking  company 
first  sent  him  out  in  1607,  His  orders  were  t  • 
penetrate  directly  to  the  North  Pole.  Hudson 
seems  to  have  answered,  in  spirit :  I  will  try,  gentle- 
men. He  reached,  by  the  way  of  wSj)itzbergen,  the 
latitude  of  8i4^\  an  a})})roach  to  ilie  point  to  wliicli 
he  was  sent  not  much  exceeded  at  any  time  since, 
until  the  last  American  expedition  under  Captain 
Hall.  He  then  coasted  awhile  about  Spitzbergen, 
and  came  home  declaring  that  there  was  an  insur- 
mountable ice  barrie"  across  the  way  to  the  pole  in 
that  direction.  This  declaration  has  never  been 
proved  false. 

He  was  next  sent  to  find  a  north-east  passage 
to  India,  a  result  much  desired  by  his  employers, 
as,  in  their  estimation,  it  would  be  eipiivalent  to 
the  discovery  of  great  riches.  In  the  spirit  of 
I'll  try,  he  sailed  in  1608.  He  made  the  coast  of 
Nova  Zembla  after  hard  fighting  with  the  Ice 
King,  into  whose  domains  he  had  dared  to  pene- 
trate. ]^>eing  defeated  by  his  veneral)le  sovereign 
of  the  whole  northern  region,  he  returned  home 
and  testified  that  a  north-east  passage  to  India  in 


% 


Sc'f  Adrift, 


41 


ships  had  no  existence,  except  in  the  fancies  and 
wishes  of  certain  merchants  who  woukl  make  haste 
to  l)e  rich.  This  testimony  of  the  brave  sailor 
stands  unimpeached  to  this  day.  Hudson's  sailors 
declared  that  while  at  one  time  out  in  a  boat,  dur- 
ing this  voyage,  they  saw  a  merr.iaid.  They  did 
not,  however,  catch  her  and  bring  her  to  England. 
So  a  grave  doubt  rests  u])on  their  testimony. 

Tlie  Dutch  did  not  believe  the  faithful  state- 
ment of  Hudson,  l)ut  would  have  him  try  the 
north-cast  passage  again.  He  did  so,  in  1609,  and 
was  warned  off,  as  before,  by  the  grim  Ice  King  ;  he 
obeyed,  and  turned  his  ships  toward  the  American 
coast,  taking  care  to  steer  away  from  the  regions 
controlled  by  his  frosty  majesty.  He  arrived  at 
what  is  now  New  York  harbor,  and  discovered 
the  beautiful  river  to  which  his  name  has  been 
n*.tached  to  this  day.  This  was  exploring  to  good 
purpose,  whether  it  satisfied  the  merchants  of  Hol- 
land or  not. 

The  next  year  a  rich  company  of  London  mer- 
chants started  him  off  again.  Strange  to  say,  the 
explorers  again  confronted  their  old  enemy  on  the 
south-east  coast  of  Iceland,  where  they  dropucd 
anchor.  They  were  beset  with  fog,  and  soon  found 
themselves  beset  also  by  "bergs"  and  "packs," 
the  skirmishers  of  the  Ice  King.  They  wisely 
took  the  hint  and  left.  Going  round  to  the  west 
coast  they  caught  a  fine  lot  of  fish.  Here  they 
saw  Mount  Hecla  in  a  blaze,  the  brightness  of  its 
fires  lighting  up  tlie  land  and  sea,  and  sparkling 
from  the  eternal  snows. 


42 


Arctic  Heroes. 


They  inadc  a  harl)or,  wlicre  llicy  killed  a  good 
sup]3ly  of  sea-fowl.  Attemiiting  to  sail,  they  were 
driven  into  another  harbor,  where  they  found  warm 
springs,  in  which  they  bathed;  some  of  them  were 
hot  enouidi  to  boil  their  fowl  in. 

They  now  sailed  away  for  Greenland,  and  coasted 
along  its  north-west  side,  seeing  many  whales. 
Scudding  before  the  wind,  they  went  west  of 
north,  and  encountered  great  quantities  of  floating 
ice,  on  which  were  numerous  seals.  Hudson  was 
carried  along  with  the  current  which  bore  the  ice, 
and  after  fruitless  attemj)ts  to  get  free  from  it  gave 
np  the  attempt,  and  yielded  to  feelings  of  dis- 
rourag'Miient.  He  called  his  men  together,  showed 
tliem  his  chart,  and  called  their  attention  to  the 
faot  that  they  had  sailed  a  hundred  leagues  further 
than  any  of  their  countrymen  had  done.  He  then 
submitted  the  question  to  them  whether  to  go 
further  or  to  return. 

The  council  thus  called  seems  to  have  l)een 
divided  and  insubordinate.  The  commander,  as 
might  have  been  supposed,  was  obliged  to  assume 
the  responsibility,  which  he  did  by  pushing  for- 
ward. He  soon  after  discovered  some  islands 
under  >vhich  he  found  shelter.  Going  ashore 
they  found  game  and  drift-wood,  and,  being  re- 
freshed and  encouraged,  called  them  tlie  "  Isles 
of  God's  Mercy. 

Sailing  again,  and  borne  hither  and  thither  by 
the  varying  ice-laden  current,  he  was  at  last  car- 
ried much  to  the  west  of  what  he  expected  l)y  the 
rush  of  the  tide  into  the  great  bay  which  bears 


ir'^ 


Sa  Adrift, 


43 


his  name.  Gaining  ihe  slicltcr  of  another  ishuul, 
a  ])oat  was  sent  ashore.  They  found  iijioi-i  it 
herds  of  deer — though  their  clumsy  guns  failed 
to  bring  down  any — abundance  of  wild  fowl,  and 
some  herbage  and  scurvy-grass.  The  boat  ex- 
plorers were  called  on  board  by  an  alarm-gun,  as 
a  storm  was  coming  on.  The  crtnv,  having  been 
consulted  before,  now  /'.fV/^/tv^v/ their  advice.  They 
wanted  to  stay  here  and  recruit.  But  Hudson  was 
elated  by  the  idea  of  the  vast  sea  into  which  he 
had  just  entered,  and  thinking,  perhaps,  that  the 
way  to  "  (J- :'  iK-^y  "  was  at  last  open  to  him,  weighed 
anchor  "i''  '  ^  re  away.  The  muttering  storm  of 
discontent  among  the  crew,  r,o  long  gathering, 
began  to  break  out  in  fitful  gusts.  Hudson  at 
once  assumed  the  stern  authority  of  the  shij)- 
master,  and  degraded  two  of  his  officers,  the  mate 
and  boatswain,  making  Bylot  mate  and  Wilson 
boatsw^ain.  In  doing  this  he  is  accused  of  acting 
under  the  influence  of  a  spirit  of  revenge  for 
provocations  a  long  time  before  given  by  the  de- 
graded men.  This  :-.eems  to  us  unlikely,  his  own 
safety  forbidding  'e  master  to  take  such  a  time 
to  pay  off  old  gnu 

After  some  exciiii.  ■;  adventures,  in  which  tlie 
crow  and  their  commaauer  came  into  collision, 
they  began  tc  'ook  about  for  winter-quarters.  It 
was  November,  tlie  nights  ^^  e  long  and  cold,  and 
the  snow  every-where  deeu.  Drawing  their  ship 
up  near  the  shore  they  were  soon  frozen  in.  Their 
provisions  were  '">w,  and  all  were  put  on  a  short 
allowance.    T\\    few,  ever  forward  with  their  ad- 


..!. 


44 


Arctic  Heroes. 


vice,  counseled  the  biiilding  of  a  house  on  shore. 
This  seems  to  have  been  good  advice,  but  Hudson 
flatly  refused  to  have  it  done.  A  most  unfortu- 
nate state  of  irritability  had  been  fostered  between 
the  two  parties.  Some  time  later,  when  the  com- 
mander saw  the  necessity  of  a  house  on  shore,  he 
commanded  the  carpenter  to  build  one.  "  I  nei- 
ther can  nor  will,"  was  that  officer's  reply.  Hud- 
son attemjited  to  strike  him,  and  hurled  at  him 
sharp  words.  "  I  know  my  d'lty  ;  I  am  no  /i<?use 
carpenter,"  rejoined  the  car])eii  < 

This,  as  it  may  be  seen,  is  }:)Oss  /  a  one-sided 
account.  It  does  not  accord  with  the  later,  noble 
conduct  of  the  carpenter  to  ]iis  commander. 

After  further  delay  the  house  was  built,  but  in 
such  a  manner  that  it  proved  of  no  use. 

The  winter  was  a  severe  one,  and  their  pro- 
visions were  nearly  exhausted.  Sickness,  of 
course,  prevailed,  and  much  suffering  was  ex- 
perienced. They,  however,  shot  a  great  many 
wild  fowl,  and  procured  ^rom  beneath  the  snow 
some  moss  and  buds,  all  of  which  were  eaten 
and  acted  favorably  in  staying  the  progress  of  the 
scurvy. 

In  the  spring  the  Esquimo  visited  them,  and 
a  trade  was  entered  into  for  furs  in  exchange  for 
trinkets. 

Hudson  now  prepared  to  return  home.  With 
a  sorrowful  heart,  and,  it  is  said,  with  tearful  eyes, 
he  distributed  to  the  compnny  a  portion  of  the 
small  remnant  of  their  provisions,  not  more  than 
enough  to  last  ten  days.     He  remarked  in  giving 


Set  Adrift, 


45 


\\\ 


ten 
the 


tith 
es, 
the 
lan 


in  a; 


I 


it  out :  "  I  also  gi\e  you  a  bill  of  return,,  so  that  if 
you  ever  get  home  you  may  show  it." 

A  short  time  after  they  caught  ''  fourscore  small 
fish,"  which,  though  but  little  among  so  many, 
ought  to  have  impressed  them  that  they  might 
look  for  a  providential  su])ply. 

They  set  sail,  we  may  be  assured,  witli  heavy 
hearts.  But  a  feeling  worse  than  that  of  heavi- 
ness was  indulged  by  many.  They  dropped  an- 
chor before  clearing  the  bay — now  Hudson  Hay 
— when  the  rebellious  spirit  on  board  assumed  the 
form  of  open  violence.  The  mutineers  took  an 
occasion,  when  officers  and  men  were  widely  scat- 
tered about  the  ship,  to  seize  the  commander  as 
he  was  leaving  the  cabin  and  to  tie  his  hands 
behind  him. 

"  What  do  you  mean  to  do .''  "  he  demanded. 

"  You  will  know  when  we  get  you  into  the 
boat,"  was  the  reply. 

The  rebels,  who  were  strong  in  numbers,  were 
armed,  and  jjresented  deadly  wea])ons  to  the 
friends  of  Hudson.  Some  of  the  sick  l)oldly  de- 
nounced the  mutineers,  and  told  them  that  they 
would  find  England,  if  they  arrived  there,  a  worse 
place  than  their  present  one. 

Hudson  and  eight  sick  men  were  violently 
dragged  into  a  small  shallop,  with  only  two  days' 
provisions.  Tlie  carpenter,  though  regarded  as  a 
friend  of  Hudson,  was  not  put  into  the  boat  with 
him.  When  he  saw  the  fate  that  had  been  devised 
for  his  commander,  he  denounced,  in  no  smooth 
terms,   the    rebels,   and  boldly   declared   that   he 


46 


Arctic  Heroes. 


::,  ;•;;!; 


111 
I 


preferred  his  comjjany  in  the  boat  to  theii  in  the 
ship.  Ihs  noble  conduct  seems  to  have  subdued 
in  a  measure  even  his  wicked  shipmates,  and  they 
allowed  him  to  take  his  chest,  musket,  powder 
and  shot,  a  few  cooking  utensils,  and  some  other 
necessaries,  and  a  small  addition  to  the  stock  of 
])rovisions. 

The  shallop  was  then  set  adrift,  wliile  the  sliip 
hoisteu  sails  and  bore  away.  Doubtless  the  muti- 
neers watched  the  victims  of  tlieir  great  crime, 
until  they  were  lost  in  the  rapidly  increasing 
distance. 

Night  threw  her  mantle  over  the  separated  par- 
ties. The  morning  dawned  with  a  clouded  sky 
and  stormy  winds.  All  day  the  gale  drove  fields 
of  ice  over  the  open  Avaters,  and  rendered  naviga- 
tion imi)ossible,  while  the  great  icebergs  went 
plunging  througli  the  deep,  or  fiercely  rushed  to- 
gether like  angry  gladiators.  Hudson  and  his 
companions  were,  without  doubt,  lost  on  that 
fearful  day ;  yet  no  messenger,  even  in  the  form 
of  a  faintly  intimating  relic,  ever  appeared  to  tell 
the  story  of  the  time  and  circumstances  of  their 
last  moments.  Posterity  drops  a  tear  over  their 
watery  graves,  and  history  perpetuates  the  memory 
of  Hudson  in  the  name  of  the  bay  which  he  dis- 
covered. 

The  guilty  ship's  company  steered  homeward, 
keeping  the  headlands  in  view.  On  one  of  these 
they  landed  to  secure  a  needed  supply  of  sea- 
fowls.  Meeting  on  shore  peaceably  disposed  Es- 
cpiimo,  they  began  to  trade  with  them,  exchanging 


5t/  Adrift. 


47 


trinkets  for  furs  and  fresh  provisions.  At  one 
time  a  boat  having  articles  for  such  [)urposes  on 
board,  went  ashore,  dreen,  who  seems  to  liave 
been  the  chief  villain  of  the  ganf(,  ventured,  with 
otners,  away  from  the  boat,  and  mixed  freely  with 
the  natives,  showing  goods.  I'ricket  only  was  left 
in  the  boat.  Seeing  the  stranifcrs  thus  off  ihoir 
guard,  and  temj)ted,  no  doubt,  by  the  coveted 
trinkets,  a  savage  attacked  Pricket  with  a  deadly 
weapon.  A  desperate  struggle  ensued,  I'ricket 
finally  killing  the  assailant.  A  general  conlb'rt  at 
once  commenced,  in  which  four  of  Green's  party, 
fighting  their  way  to  the  boat,  reached  it  only  after 
receiving  serious  wounds.  The  remaining  one 
jumped  into  the  sea  from  a  rocky  point  and  swam 
to  the  boat  after  it  pushed  off,  seizing  its  stern, 
and  begging  to  be  taken  in  ;  his  comi)anions,  it 
seems,  being  regardless  of  his  fate.  The  savages 
persisted  in  their  attack,  and  were  beaten  off  with 
a  pike  and  hatchet.  Green  was  killed  on  the  s])ot. 
The  rest  reached  the  ship,  l)ut  three  died  of  their 
wounds.  The  cry  of  the  blood  of  their  murdered 
commander  was  s])eedily  avenged. 

The  ship  was  now  insufficiently  manned,  and 
there  were  no  relieving  parties  to  go  ashore  for 
birds.  With  great  labor  they  killed  and  salted 
three  hundred.  They  then  sailed  out  of  the  strait, 
and  bore  away  for  England.  The  last  ringleader 
in  the  rebellion  died  on  the  voyage.  They  reached 
their  own  country,  after  being  driven  to  the  very 
extremity  of  starvation,  a  wetched,  guilty  com- 
pany as  ever  returned  from  an  arctic  exploration. 


Jl 


Hi 


W 


31 1 


3. 


48 


Arctic  Hi'.koi;s. 


M 


Their  suffering,  miserable  condition  seems  to  liave 
turned  aside  the  sword  of  justice,  usually  so  (juick 
in  old  England  to  i)unish  crimes  like  theirs,  and 
they  were  not  arrested.  Indeed,  two  of  them 
sailed  in  the  next  arctic  expedition. 


iiiiii 


i|i 


1 
a 
e 
c 
c 


.ill 


Shipwreck  ami  Escape. 


49 


CHAPTER  VI. 


SHIPWRECK    AND     ESCAPE. 

HUDSON'S  discovery  of  a  great  body  of 
water,  extending  farther  west  than  previous 
voyagers  had  sailed,  created  great  excitement. 
Much  controversy  was  the  result,  some  contend- 
ing that  the  highway  to  India,  so  long  sought,  led 
out  of  it.  But  it  was  a  long  time,  as  we  shall  see, 
before  much  additional  knowledge  was  obtained 
of  regions  lying  farther  west. 

In  1616  V.'illiam  Jjaffin  discovered  the  b;iy 
which  bears  his  name.  It  is  a  vast  extent  of 
water,  eight  hundred  miles  long  and  three  hundred 
wide.  Its  discovery  was  a  full  compensnticn  to 
the  world  for  the  failures  of  many  previous  expe- 
ditions. Its  waters  have  yielded  great  treasures 
to  the  adventurous  whalemen.  Baffin  larely 
missed  opening  to  navigation  Lancaster  Sound. 
He  sailed  by  and  observed  its  entrance,  but  wlmt 
lay  beyond  remained  unknown  for  two  hundred 
years. 

While  the  English  and  other  nations  were  ])ush- 
ing  their  ex]:)lorations  westward  fi'om  Hudson 
and  Baffin  Bay,  the  Russians  were,  with  equal 
energy,  surveying  the  Arctic  coast-line  of  their 
own  extended  possessions.  From  time  to  time 
expeditions  were  sent  eastward  from   the  White 


m 


50 


Arctic  Heroes. 


'i,, 


'I 


I  ■ 


Sea,  discovering  tlic  rivers  and  bays  along  the 
Siberian  coast,  to  tlie  Lena.  Other  exjjeditions 
sailed  west  from  Bering  Strait  to  tlie  Kolyma 
and  Lena.  'IMie  sufferings  of  these  adventurers 
were  very  great.  Their  vessels  were  small  affairs, 
varying  from  ten  to  fifty  tons,  and  in  the  means 
of  comfort  and  safety  of  life  which  they  afforded 
comjuired  unfavorably  with  the  jileasure  yachts  of 
our  bays.  This  is  true  of  all  the  exploring  vessels 
of  these  early  times. 

Passing  the  smaller  expeditions  which,  in  their 
aggregate  discoveries,  opened  extended  lines  of 
sea-coast,  we  present  more  fully  that  of  the  fa- 
mous Russian  commander.  Captain  \'itus  Bering. 
In  1728  he  was  given  the  command  of  two  vessels, 
the  "  Fortuna  "  and  "  Gabriel."  He  sailed  from 
the  mouth  of  the  Kamchatka  River  in  July,  and, 
coasting  northward,  reached  a  point  in  Bering 
Strait  where  the  land  swept  off  to  the  westward. 
This,  he  assumed,  proved  the  separation  of  Asia 
and  America,  thus  settling  one  of  the  great  ques- 
tions for  which  the  voyage  had  been  undertaken. 
This  done,  Bering  returned  home.  He  was  afraid 
of  the  winter  and  its  Ice  King,  and  seems  to  have 
cared  more  for  ease  and  satety  than  great  ex- 
ploits. 

Bering's  timid  policy  lost  him  no  favor  with  his 
Government.  He  was  advanced  to  the  rank  of 
commander,  and  his  lieutenants  given  commissions 
as  captains.  Supply  depots  Avere  established  on 
the  Kamchatka  coast,  the  exploring  interest  was 
kept  up  by  the  discussion  of  various  projects,  until, 


Shipivrcck  a) id  Escape. 


51 


SKI 

hcs- 

en. 

•aid 

lave 

ex- 


in  1 741,  Bering  again  made  tlic  long  overland 
jorrney  from  St.  Petersburgh  to  Avatcha,  Kam- 
chatka. His  exj)editiun  from  this  j)ort  consisted 
of  two  vessels — the  "  St.  Peter,"  commanded  by 
himself,  and  the  "St.  Paul,"  Chirikoff,  cajjtain. 
They  sailed  on  the  4th  of  June,  and  on  the  20th 
of  June  the  vessels  were  separated  by  a  storm, 
and  were  not  again  in  comjjany.  About  the  mid- 
dle of  July  the  "  St.  Paul  "  anchored  off  the  Ameri- 
can coast.  The  long-boat,  with  eleven  armed 
men,  was  sent  ashore.  Anxiously,  for  six  days, 
the  commander  waited  in  vain  for  its  return. 
Then  a  smaller  boat,  with  six  men,  was  sent  to 
search  for  it,  but  neither  of  the  boats  returned, 
and  the  fate  of  the  men  remained  a  matter  of 
conjecture.  A  sad  intimation,  however,  of  their 
end  was  given  by  the  appearance  the  next  day  of 
two  canoes  filled  with  savages.  On  seeing  the 
Russians  crowding  their  vessels'  deck,  they  made 
a  fierce  outcry  and  paddled  swiftly  away. 

Having  now  no  boats,  Chirikoff  sailed  back 
to  Avatcha,  having  on  his  voyage  lost  twenty- 
one  of  his  seventy  men ;  four,  among  whom 
was  a  celebrated  naturalist,  Crozere,  died  of 
scurvy. 

Bering,  in  the  "  St.  Peter,"  had  a  more  eventful 
career.  The  first  land  he  made  on  the  American 
coast  was  examined  by  two  boats  in  reference  to 
a  supply  of  fresh  water.  One  of  them,  com- 
manded by  Steller,  met  a  small  company  of  the 
natives,  who  were  peaceably  disposed.  They  con- 
sisted of  men  only,  who  had  been  on  a  fishing  ex- 


'A 


I 


il 


I 


J 


*'   ''\\ 


f  }  M 


52 


Arctic  Hmroes. 


ii 


■in  'i  • 


cursion.  They  liad  captured  a  whale,  and  offered 
the  strangers  some  of  tlie  blubber,  urging  them 
to  eat. 

ThoUL'-h  the  result  of  these  boat  excursions  was 
favorable  to  a  longer  stay,  I'ering  hoistetl  sail  and 
])Ut  to  sea.  A  violent  storm,  which  lasted  seven- 
teen days,  overtook  him,  and  he  was  driven  far  to 
the  southward.  'I'o  add  to  his  disasters  the  scurvy 
broke  out  among  the  crew,  A  good  supply,  freely 
eaten,  of  the  whale's  llesh  which  the  ]^sf[uimo 
tendered  might  have  prevented  this.  As  it  was, 
the  men  were  generally  disabled,  and  many  died. 
The  steersman  was  ujjheld  by  a  comrade  on  either 
side,  both  about  as  feeble  as  he.  When  the  ship's 
watches  were  changed,  it  was  but  one  set  of  invalids 
succeeding  another.  A  cold  rain,  by  whi(di  they 
had  been  drenched,  was  succeeded  by  sleet  and 
snow.  The  nights  grew  longer  and  the  darkness 
more  intense,  while,  at  the  same  time,  they  been  me 
entangled  in  a  scattered  group  of  islands.  The 
supi)ly  of  water  was  small,  and  tlie  ([uality  poor. 
The  sailors  were  at  last  so  few  in  numl)er  and  so 
weak  that  they  were  unable  longer  to  manage  the 
ship,  and  she  was  for  several  days  driven  by  the 
wind  or  drifted  by  the  current.  On  the  4th  of 
November  the  crew  rallied,  and  attempted  to  re- 
gain command  of  the  ship,  and  i)ut  her  prow  to 
the  westward.  \\'hile  struggling  to  accomplish 
this  they  were  thrilled  with  joy  at  the  sight,  in  the 
distance,  of  snow-capped  mountains.  They  knew 
not  whether  they  were  those  of  their  own  Kam- 
chatka  or   some    far   away  island.      Before    they 


^ 


S/iipivivck  and  liscaf^c. 


53 


I 


could  reach  the  shore  the  long,  dark,  and  intensely 
cold  ni^ht  set  in.  I  )uring  its  weary,  slow-passing 
hours,  the  cordage  supjxjrting  one  side  of  tlie 
masts  gaNe  way,  reiulering  the  larger  sails  useless. 
'I'hus  cripjjled,  and  about  destitute  of  water,  they 
deterniined,  at  all  risks,  to  run  the  vcssl-I  ashore. 
For  this  purjjose,  when  the  morning  dawned,  they 
hoisted  some  light  sail  u{)on  the  (pnvering  masts. 
Seeing  the  ship  drifting  upon  a  rocky  reef,  they 
threw  out  an  anchor;  but  the  cable  soon  parted, 
and  she  struck  twice  \\\>v>w  it.  A  moment  after, 
however,  a  huge  wa\e  lifted  h.er  u]),  and  bore  her 
safely  over  the  reef  into  calm  water  with  a  sandy 
bottom.  They  were  but  a  short  distance  from  the 
shore.  They  were  in  a  land-locked  harbor,  and 
had  been  driven  in  through  a  merciful  ])rovi(lence 

'  the  winds  and  waves  through  the  narrow  and 
only  {)Ossible  entrance.  They  restetl  until  noon 
of  the  next  day.  Piering  had  been  for  some  time 
confined  to  his  berth  with  the  scurvy.  W'axcl,  who 
succeeded  to  the  command,  and  Steller,  surgeon 
and  naturalist,  now  landed  to  explore  the  country. 
It  was  dreary  enough.  There  were  no  trees  in- 
viting them  to  a  shelter  under  their  intertwining 
branches;  no  Es([uimo  huts  offered  tlieir  simple 
hospitality.  One  feature  only  was  cheering  :  there 
was  a  beautiful  stream  of  i)ure  water,  which  the 
Ice  King,  forbidden  by  the  (Ireat  King,  had  not 
yet  touched  by  his  congealing  wand.  It  was  mur- 
muring a  plaintive  welcome  to  the  forlorn  strangers 
as  it  rushed  over  its  rocky  bed. 

Waxel  and   Steller  found  some  excavations  in 


i 


m 


i  ii 


J  .-' 


\  M 


54 


Arctic  Heroes. 


1* 


,1 


mm 


the  banks  of  this  stream,  which  they  resolved  to 
cover  with  the  sails  of  the  ship  as  the  best  tem- 
porary provi.iion  they  could  make  for  the  sick. 
This  they  did,  and  in  a  few  days  attempted  to 
bring  them  ashore.  Some  died  the  monient  they 
reached  the  open  air;  othe.s  died  on  board  the 
boat,  and  some  immediately  on  Lnnding, 

These  deceased  comrades  were  laid  in  a  solemn 
row  on  the  shore  to  await  a  kindly  burial ;  but 
their  bodies  were  instantly  attacked  by  rapacious 
foxes,  who  mangled  some  of  them  before  they 
could  be  interred. 

On  the  second  day  of  the  removals,  Bering  was 
brought  ashore  and  placed  in  a  hut  by  himself. 
He  was  tenderly  carried  by  his  men  from  the 
boat,  and  his  necessities  were  met  as  far  as  the 
painful  circumstances  allowed.  But  he  ra]oidly 
sunk  under  his  disease,  his  age  and  temperament 
being  against  him.  He  became  delirious  as  his 
life  drew  to  ^  'jlose,  imagining  his  friends  to  be  his 
enemies,  and  not  permitting  some  of  them  to  come 
into  his  presence.  He  indulged  the  strange  fancy 
of  scooping  u\)  the  loose  sand  near  his  bed  and 
covering  his  feet  with  it.  He  was  very  angry  if  his 
attendants  rer-io'/ed  it.  He  was  finally  left  to 
gratify  this  strange  desire,  and  he  sunk  into  the 
arms  of  death,  half  buried  by  his  own  hands.  His 
name  was  given  to  the  island,  which  has  become 
to  all  nations,  and  all  succeeding  generations,  his 
monument. 

No  other  officer  d  ed,  though  several  others 
were  at  times  attacked  vvitli  the  prevailing  disease. 


"^m^ 


Shipivrcck  and  Escape. 


55 


lers 
Ue. 


But  the  disasters  of  the  wretched  company  were 
not  ended.  A  few  days  after  the  burial  of  their 
commander  a  violent  storm  arose.  The  sea  broke 
over  the  reef  girding  their  harbor,  and  rolled  vast 
waves  to  the  shore.  Their  ship,  their  only  de- 
pendence for  escape,  swung  uneasily  at  her  moor- 
ing. She  had  lost  two  anchors,  and  one  only 
remained.  None  but  men  situated  as  they  were 
can  appreciate  the  anxiety  with  which  they  watched 
her  unequal  contest  with  the  mighty  sea.  All 
day  of  the  29th  of  September  she  bravely  clung 
to  her  anchor.  The  night,  long,  dark,  and  fearfully 
tempestuous,  set  in,  and  left  the  shipwrecked 
islanders  to  watch  through  its  hours  in  torturing 
uncertainty. 

When,  at  last,  the  morning  lighted  up  the  shore, 
the  ship  was  seen  won  the  bjach,  buried  dcp 
in  the  sand,  and  sadly  shattered  by  the  waves. 
A  large  part  of  their  provisions,  which,  strange 
to  say,  had  not  been  removed  to  the  shore, 
was  lost. 

^J'he  party  began  now  to  look  about  them  most 
carefully.  They  soon  learned  that  they  were 
upon  an  island.  They  found  drift-wood,  by  dig- 
ging under  the  snow,  for  improving  their  huts  and 
for  fuel.  This  was  a  timely  supply,  without  which 
they  must  have  perished.  The  blue  and  white 
foxes,  which  annoyed  them  on  landing,  and  sacri- 
legiously attacked  their  dead,  were  glad  to  keep 
out  of  their  way,  and  were  made  to  help  largely 
in  supplying  their  table.  "The  sea-beaver,"  as 
they  called  another  of  the  island  animals,  they  ate 


it,' 
^1 


56 


Arctic  Heroes. 


m 


only  when  hard  pressed  for  food,  as  their  flesh  was 
hard  and  "  strini^^y."  'I'hcy  even  turned  up  their 
noses  at  tlie  flesh  of  the  seal,  pronouncing  its 
smell  and  taste  decidedly  disagreeable,  (which 
proves  that  they  were  not  driven  very  near  to  the 
verge  of  starvation.)  The  "  sea-lion  "  they  jjro- 
nounced  excellent.  The  walrus  was  much  rel- 
ished, the  flesh  being  "  like  beef,"  and  tlie  young 
ones  tasting  like  "  the  best  veal ;"  they  used  their 
fat  for  butter.  They  even  salted  several  hogsheads 
of  this  walrus  meat  for  their  voyage  of  esca])e,  if 
they  ever  made  one.  A  part  of  the  small  remains 
of  the  provision  saved  from  the  ship  was  put 
away  for  the  same  purpose. 

At  a  time  in  the  winter  when  they  seemed  in 
some  danger  of  falling  short  of  provisions  a  whale 
came  ashore  near  their  huts.  They  found  its 
flesh,  when  separated  by  boiimg  from  the  fat,  good 
eating.  In  the  spring  another  whale  stranded 
upon  their  beach.  Thus  God  wonderfully  pro- 
vided for  these  shipwrecked  islanders. 

It  was  now  April,  1742;  the  snow  had  melted, 
and  the  wreck  and  drift-wood  were  uncovered. 
They  began  to  debate  the  (piestion,  How  shall  we 
escape  from  the  island  ? — a  question,  one  would 
think,  hard  to  answer.  Waxel  proposed  tearing 
the  old  wreck  to  pieces,  and  the  construction  of  a 
smaller  vessel  of  the  materials.  All  concurred  in 
the  proposal.  But  the  carpenters  of  the  expedi- 
tion, three  in  number,  had  died  during  the  winter. 
Here  was  a  serious  perplexity.  In  the  emc-gency 
a  Cossack,  by  the  name  of  Sawa,  who  had  worked 


SJiipivrcck  and  Escape. 


57 


awhile  in  a  Russian  navy-yard,  stepped  forward 
and  said  he  would  try.  The  commander  sug- 
gested the  dimensions,  Ibrty  feet  long  and  thirteen 
])road.  The  vessel  was  begun  in  May,  and  on  the 
loth  of  August  it  was  launched  and  named  the 
"  St.  Peter."  It  had  one  mast  and  one  deck.  A 
cabin  was  built  on  the  after-part,  and  a  cook-house 
on  the  fore-part.  The  shot  and  iron  of  the  wreck 
were  used  as  ballast.  Arrangements  were  made 
for  four  oars  amid-ships.  Favored  by  calm  weath- 
er after  the  launching,  they  hung  the  rudder,  put 
in  the  mast,  "  bent  the  sails,"  took  the  provisions 
and  the  few  valuables  their  shij)wreck  had  left  tht  \-<, 
adding  no  small  amount  of  furs  collected  on  the 
island.  Having  built  their  sailing  vessel,  they 
added  to  it  a  boat  large  enough  to  carry  nine 
persons. 

Seldom  have  men  reduced  to  so  desperate  a 
condition  risen  to  one  so  hopeful.  On  the  i6th 
of  August  they  bid  adieu  to  their  island  home, 
manned  their  oars,  rowed  over  the  reef,  and,  when 
well  out  to  sea,  hoisted  sail  and  steered  for  Kam- 
chatka. Their  vessel  behaved  well,  to  the  joy 
of  all  and  the  honor  of  Sawa.  On  the  27th  they 
safely  entered  the  i)ort  from  whence  they  had 
sailed  with  such  high  hopes  fifteen  months  be- 
fore. Chirikoffs  shi]),  though  it  had  been  out  in 
search  of  them,  was  there.  They  were,  of  course, 
w\armly  welcomed,  and  became  the  heroes  of  the 
hour.  Sawa  was  regarded  as  the  rescuer  of  the 
company,  and  was  made  a  nobleman  of  inferior 
order. 


X-.    1 


*  i 

4 


II 


t  ,1 


58 


Arctic  Heroes. 


Thus  ended  the  last  expedition  under  Bering — 
its  shipwreck  and  escape. 

Having  thus  shown  the  progress  of  arctic  dis- 
covery into  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
we  will  pause  to  glance  at  some  of  its  moral  and 
religious  results. 


!  "  -;i' 


Arctic  Mission  -  Work, 


59 


CHAPTER  VII. 


ARCTIC      MISSION- WORK. 


WE  have  related  in  an  early  chapter  the 
fact  that  a  Danish  settlement  in  (Ireenland 
immediately  followed  the  pioneer  voyagers.  We 
have  noted,  too,  the  history  of  a  Roman  Catholic 
mission  which  attended  it,  and  given  passing  notice 
of  the  remarkable  circumstance  that  the  entire 
colony,  with  its  mission,  was  mysteriously  blotted 
out.  We  devote  now  a  few  pages  to  the  revival 
of  the  mission-work  there  by  better  teachers  with 
a  purer  faith. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  eighteenth  century  a 
Norwegian  boy  by  the  name  of  Hans  Egede  list- 
ened to  the  wonderful  legends  of  his  fatherland 
with  deep  interest.  The  stories  concerning  the 
Zenos  especially  impressed  him.  Mixed  with  tales 
of  their  shipwreck  on  the  Greenland  shore  were 
vague  accounts  of  heroic  Christian  efforts  for  the 
conversion  or  its  heathen  people.  The  lack  of 
reliable  information  as  to  what  had  been  done 
afforded  a  broad  field  for  the  exercise  of  his  lively 
imagination.  His  desire  to  preach  Christ  in  Green- 
land grew  with  his  increasing  years,  and  became 
the  staple  of  his  talk.  But  the  Church  received 
his  suggestions  coldly,  and  the  world  laughed  at 
him.     Being  thus   restrained,   he  became   parish 


I? 


■    1 

¥ 

-    *f; 


r 


60 


AKcric   Ilr.HOES. 


;  I 
it 


\  \       !i! 


-%. 


minister  at  Vogcn,  in  tlic  north  of  Norway,  was 
married,  and  had  four  cliildren.  TUit  the  fiery 
zeal  of  his  youth  for  Greenland  and  its  perishing 
heathen  burned  with  unabated  intensity.  His 
wife  even  opposed  it,  Init  Egede  had  no  rest. 
"  He  that  forsaketh  not  all  that  he  hath  for  my 
sake  is  not  wortliy  of  nie,"  seemed  ever  ringing  in 
his  ears.  He  spread  the  matter  before  (iod  in 
earnest  daily  prayer.  His  wife's  ol)jections  were 
first  removed,  and  she  became  an  ardent  co- 
operator,  declaring  she  was  ready  to  forsake  all 
lid  to  face  every  toil  and  danger.  He  pressed 
his  suit  upon  the  Mission  College,  and  was  rejected 
with  some  assurance  of  future  aid.  He  next  ap- 
peared before  the  king  himself.  Royal  ears  were 
opened  to  his  imi)assioned  appeal,  difhculties  gave 
way,  ten  thousand  dollars  were  raised,  a  small 
vessel,  called  the  '*  Hope,"  ]nirchased,  and  Hans 
Egede  with  his  family  landed  in  Greenland  in  the 
summer  of  1721.  He  chose  for  his  first  station 
a  small  island  near  the  mouth  of  the  Baal  River,  in 
latitude  about  65°. 

Strange  to  say,  Egede,  with  all  his  seemingly 
God-inspired  zeal  and  his  undoubted  Christian 
heroism,  mistook  at  first,  at  least,  the  vital  duty  of 
a  true  a])Ostolic  missionary — that  of  preaching 
Christ,  He  began  his  instructions  with  the  story 
of  the  creation,  and  endeavored  thus  indirectly  to 
prei)are  his  hearers  for  the  story  of  the  cross.  His 
('hristian  si)irit  conciliated  the  natives,  and  sub- 
dued the  opposition  of  prejudice  which  first  at- 
tended   his    good    offices.     Still    none  were    con- 


Arctic  Mission-  Work. 


6i 


verted,  Kc  toiled  on  ten  long  years,  patiently 
praying  and  waiting. 

In  17  ^r  Kgede  seems  to  have  begun  to  have 
some  fruit,  for  several  were  baptized.  Two  of 
these  were  taken  to  Denmark  by  the  colonists, 
and  their  story  awakened  a  deep  interest  in  the 
minds  of  the  devoted  Moravians  of  that  country. 
Their  story  was  reix)rted  to  the  congregation 
at  Herrnhut.  Matthew  Stach  arose  and  said : 
"Send  me  to  Greenland;  the  Lord  hath  called 
me."  His  cousin,  Christian  Stach,  added,  "  Me, 
too,  hath  (iod  commanded  to  go!"  Christian 
David,  a  veteran  teacher,  united  with  them  in 
the  noble  enterprise. 

The  congregation  which  said  to  these  brethren, 
"Go;  (rod  be  with  you,  and  bless  you  !  "  were  a 
poor  persecuted  people.  They  had  only  their 
blessing  to  give. 

These  three  started  for  Copenhagen,  a  district 
of  five  hundred  miles,  afoot,  carrying  their  entire 
worldly  substance  on  their  backs.  The  day  be- 
fore starting  they  received  an  unsolicited  dona- 
tion, and  while  this  lasted  they  refused  all  prof- 
fered charities  by  the  way. 

When  they  arrived  at  Copenhagen  they  were 
regarded  as  fanatics.  Count  Pless  inquired  of 
them  how  they  would  support  themselves  in 
Greenland. 

"With  our  hands,"  Avas  the  prompt  reply. 

"  How  will  you  find  shelter  and  a  home  ?  " 

"We  will  build  a  house  and  live  in  it." 

"  But  there  is  no  timber  in  Greenland !  " 


1  I 


fit 


'*:;  I 


I 


iff 

4 


P    :i 


r. 


62 


Arctic  Heroes. 


it     ' 


?l'i!! 


"Then  we  will  dig  a  hole  in  tlie  ground  and 
live  in  that !  " 

"  No,"  replied  the  count,  "  that  will  l)e  too  l)ad. 
Here's  money  enough  to  buy  lumber  for  a  house  ; 
carry  the  material  for  your  home  with  you,  and 
God  bless  you  !  " 

They  arrived  in  Greenland  in  April,  1733,  and 
built  their  humble  house  on  the  mainland  near  the 
island  on  which  Egede  had  so  long  toiled.  They 
put  u}),  also,  a  house  in  which  to  receive  the  natives 
who  might  visit  them.  They  called  their  locality 
Herrnhut.  Scarcely  had  they  become  settled  be- 
fore the  small-pox  swept  away  large  numbers 
of  the  natives,  and  prostrated  the  missionaries. 
While  thus  burdened  they  were  cheered  by  the 
unexpected  coming  to  join  them  in  their  labors 
of  two  of  their  brethren  from  home,  Beck  and 
Boenish.  These  so  diligently  and  ai)tly  applied 
themselves  to  the  Esquimo  language  that  they 
soon  printed  for  native  use  copies  of  the  Lord's 
Prayer,  the  Ten  Commandme.its,  and  the  Apostles' 
Creed.  But  they  were  unsuccessful  in  hunting, 
not  having  learned  the  ways  of  the  natives  in  this 
respect.  Their  stock  of  provisions  was  much 
reduced,  so  that  there  remained  for  the  entire 
mission  only  a  barrel  and  a  half  of  oatmeal,  with 
no  apparent  resource  when  that  should  be  eaten. 
The  Esquimo,  seeing  their  reduced  state,  watched 
for  the  moment  when  starvation  should  make 
them  helpless  to  utterly  destroy  them.  But  the 
men  of  God  cried  unto  him,  and  in  the  spring  of 
1736   ample  supplies  were  sent  by  an   unknown 


Arctic  Mission  -  Work. 


63 


benefactor  in  Holland.  Having  thus  enough  to  eat 
for  the  present,  more  hiborers  and  more  mouths 
to  feed  came  from  their  home.  In  the  sum- 
mer following,  the  mother  of  Matthew  Stach,  a 
widow,  and  his  two  sisters,  joined  the  mission. 
The  mother  immediately  relieved  the  men  of  the 
burden  of  domestic  affairs,  and  the  sisters — Rosina, 
twenty-two  years  old,  and  Anna  twelve — showed 
great  aptness  in  learning  the  native  language,  and 
soon  became  efficient  spiritual  hel])ers.  For  two 
years  from  this  time  this  united,  undinching  compa- 
ny of  eight  Christians  endured  all  manner  of  annoy- 
ances from  those  whom  they  came  to  tell  of  Jesus 
and  his  love.  Hideous  bowlings  saluted  their  ears 
by  night.  Whenever  they  went  out  they  were 
mocked,  pelted  with  stones,  and  threatened  with 
death.  Their  boats  were  loose.ied  from  their 
moorings  and  set  adrift. 

Thus  affairs  stood  when  a  party  of  South  Green- 
land natives  arrived  at  the  settlement.  One  of 
them,  Kayarnak,  was  at  one  time  sitting  near 
Beck  while  he  was  attempting  the  translation  of 
the  Gospel  of  Matthew.  He  was  curious  to  learn 
what  the  white  teacher  was  doing.  Be(^k  read  to 
him  the  .story  of  the  cross.  The  savage  and  his 
companions  listened  with  tearful  eyes.  "  Tell  me 
that  again,"  exclaimed  Kayarnak,  He  became  at 
once  a  keen  and  earnest  inquirer.  He  came  and 
settled  near  the  mission,  bringing  two  other  fami- 
lies, who  became  inquirers.  The  other  South 
Greenlanders  mocked  and  soon  left;  but  five 
candidates  for  baptism,  including  Kayarnak,  camt; 


\\  ai 


n 

11? 


i 


11 

lil 
."I 


64 


Arctic  Hkroes. 


M 


out  of  the  tlirce  faniilics.  Morning  and  even- 
ing ])raycrs  were  established  in  these  hoiiseliolds, 
and  tliey  progressed  raiiidly  in  the  knowledge  of 
the  Christian  faith. 

Sunday,  March  29,  1739,  was  a  great  day  at 
Herrnhut.  Kayarnak,  his  wife,  a  son  and  a  daugh- 
ter, were  baptized  in  the  midst  of  prayers,  thanks- 
givings, tears,  and  tlie  nielling  jiower  of  the  Spirit. 
The  aged  ICgede  had  been  called  home  by  Ids  king 
to  teach  the  Est[uimo  language  to  those  ])urpos- 
ing  to  join  the  colony.  But  his  son  had  taken  his 
place  in  the  mission-work,  and  rejoiced  at  this 
harvest  home. 

This  baptism  of  the  Spirit  was  followed  by  a 
baptism  of  blood.  A  brother  of  Kayarnak,  who 
had  become  an  in([uirer,  was  killed,  and  Kayarnak 
himself  was  driven,  with  his  family,  under  the 
threat  of  death,  to  South  (Ireenland.  JUit  he 
carried  the  presence  of  the  Saviour  and  tlie  good 
news  of  salvation  with  him.  Soon  twenty-one 
boats,  filled  with  his  countrymen,  came  to  Herrn- 
hut inquiring  about  this  new  way  and  a  risen 
Christ.  At  the  exj^iration  of  a  year  Kayarnak 
himself,  with  his  family,  accompanied  by  a  brother 
and  family  as  inquirers,  made  their  weltome  ap- 
pearance at  the  mission.  After  a  brief  but  faith- 
ful career  Kayarnak  died,  attesting  joyfully  in 
death,  as  he  had  in  life,  the  power  of  Divine  grace. 
The  good  work  spread.  In  one  Es(|uimo  hut  the 
inmates  sat  up  all  night  listening  with  unwearied 
attention  to  the  Word  of  Life. 

In    1747   the  material   for  a  house   of  worship 


»n 


Arctic  li fission  -  Work. 


OS 


was  sent  from  Denmark  l>y  tlie  friends  of  tlic 
mission,  and  it  was  dedicated  with  great  joy.  Tlie 
next  year  tliirty-five  natives  jjrofessed  to  obtain 
renewing  grace  and  were  baptized.  A  fevv  years 
after  a  devastating  disease  was  introduced  from  the 
whale-ships,  and  nearly  two  score  of  the  native 
converts  died;  but  in  death  they  triumphed,  and 
witnessed  a  good  confession. 

A  few  years  later  Matthew  Stach,  assisted  by 
two  recruits  from  the  home  congregation,  estab- 
lished a  new  mission  at  a  more  southern  jioint, 
which  he  called  Lichtenfels.  In  a  great  emer- 
gency for  a  church,  these  brethren  laid  their  case 
before  (jod  in  prayer.  God  had  given  them  the 
ears  of  the  natives,  whole  families  had  professed 
to  find  Christ,  and  a  house  of  worship  was  deeuu-d 
necessary  for  the  permanent  usefulness  of  the 
mission.  Thus  situated,  the  winds  and  the  strong 
current  which  had  visited  more  souti^.ern  shores 
brought  a  large  amount  of  drift  timber.  Out  of 
this  the  church  was  erected. 

From  this  time  the  good  work  went  stcidily 
forwaid,  its  harvest-fields  covering  a  greater  area, 
its  sowers  and  reapers  increasing,  and  its  sheaves 
more  perfectly  ripening  for  the  heavenly  garner. 
The  whole  New  Testament  was  in  due  time 
translated  and  ])rinted  in  Esquimo  by  the  British 
and  Foreign  Bible  Society.  A  training-school  has 
been  established  at  the  Herrnhut  Mission  to  pre- 
pare native  Christians  to  preach  to  their  coun- 
trymen. Re-union  meetings  of  the  native  con- 
verts  are   at    times  held.     At  one  of  these  two 


■1 
{ 


*1 


i 


HI 

'111 


"itt 

'i  m 


66 


Arctic  Heroes. 


hundred  and  thirty-seven  partook  of  the  sacrament 
together,  rejoicing  with  great  joy. 

Thus  have  arctic  exi)lorations  been  followed  by 
the  precious  inlluences  of  the  (iospel. 

The  reader  will  now  readily  recall  the  last 
cliai>ter — its  story  of  shipwreck  and  escape — and 
go  with  us  on  another  voyage  of  exploration. 


■)      'i 


ii'i« 


A  Sudden  Retreat. 


67 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

A     SUDDEN     RETREAT. 

THEwSE  repeated  disasters  of  the  explorers 
seem  not  to  have  dam])cned  the  ardor  of 
eitlier  the  governments  or  the  sailors  in  their 
desire  to  sail  round  the  continents  through  the 
northern  sea.  Their  desire  to  visit  the  North 
Pole  was  as  intense  as  if  they  knew  it  to  consist 
of  a  mountain  of  gold. 

In  T743  the  British  Parliament  offered  a  reward 
of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  to  the  lucky 
navij^ator  who,  sailing  through  Hudson  Strait, 
shouV  come  out  on  the  other  side  of  tiie  Ameri- 
can continent.  It  a])pears  to  have  been  assumed 
that  this  prize  could  be  taken  by  one  giving  cer- 
tain proof  that  this  could  be  done.  So  land  as 
well  as  sea  expeditions  were  tried.  These  started 
from  the  trading  depots  of  the  Hudson  Bay  Com- 
pany, and  'traversed  their  vast  territory  toward  the 
Arctic  Sea.  In  1869-72  Hearne  reached  a  large 
and  rapid  river — the  Coppermine — and  floated 
nearly  to  its  mouth.  The  next  expedition,  ten 
years  later,  by  Mackenzie,  followed  the  nobler 
Mackenzie  River  in  the  same  direction.  Neither 
were  certain  that  they  had  reached  the  ocean.  So 
the  century  closed  with  the  vexed  question  un- 
answered. 


.,i< 


IVI. 

;'''V  * 

^tii 

d; 


w 


n 


'^'■ 


68  Arctic  Heroes. 

"Vars  now  for  many  years  kept  the  tlioughts 
and  ships  of  commercial  nations  at  home.  \a- 
jjoleon  Honaparte,  fiercer  tlian  a  i)ohir  bear,  was 
making  sad  havoc  of  thrones.  When,  at  hast,  the 
smoke  of  battles  had  cleared  away,  the  attention 
to  arctic  exi)loration  was  renewed,  largely  by  the 
influence  of  William  Scoresby;  a  cai)tain  of  a 
whale-shij).  When  a  boy,  in  a  whaler  commanded 
l)y  his  father,  he  had  reached  a  higher  latitude 
than  any  yet  attained.  He  was  only  twenty-one 
years  old  when  his  father  retired  from  the  service, 
giving  his  son  the  command  of  his  ship. 

In  1 817  Captain  Scoresl)y  observed  a  remarkable 
chaiige  in  the  northern  ice-fields.  He  reported 
that  Baffin  May,  and  the  waters  even  far  beyond, 
were  free  from  ice,  while  large  quantifies  were 
drifting  south  over  the  Atlantic  to  mvlt  in  a  warmer 
region.  He  called  the  attention  of  Sir  Joseph 
Banks,  President  of  the  Royal  Society,  to  tl.is  re- 
markable fact  in  a  v.ell-written  letter.  The  old 
enthusiasm  bc'j;an  to  glow  amon^;;  the  great  men. 
Scoresby's  suggestions  were  readily  taken  up.  but 
not  the  man.  Thougli  eminently  ([ualified  for  the 
command,  which  he  sought,  of  one  of  the  explor- 
ing ships,  "Mily  officers  from  the  na\y  were  allowed 
the  honor,  "red  tape"  prevailing  over  common 
sense  and  the  best  interests  of  exploiation, 

Two  fine  ships  were  soon  in  readiness:  tlie  larg- 
er, the  "  Isabella,"  three  hundred  and  eighty-five 
tons,  was  commanded  by  ^Ir.  (afterward  Sir  John) 
i<(i^s;  tlie  smaller,  the  "  .A'exander,"  two  hundred 
and  fifty   tons. 


I 


\\ 


as  under  the  commaiul  of  Lieu- 


A  Siiihicn  Retreat. 


69 


tenant  Eidward  Tarry.  'I'licse  vessels  were  not 
only  larger  than  their  predecessors  in  the  same 
service,  but  were  better  furnished  in  all  respects. 
The  beit  instruments  known  to  science  were  on 
board,  and  a  man  skilled  in  using  them,  Cai)tain 
Sabine,  was  detailed  for  that  purpose.  Not  the 
least  valuable  member  of  this  ex[)edition  was  an 
Esciuimo  by  the  name  of  Sackhouse.  He  had 
been  converted  through  the  intluence  of  the  Danish 
mission  in  Greenland,  and  had  been  twice  in  vScot- 
land,  spending  a  corisiderable  time  under  l^^nglish 
instructors.  He  had  a  pleasing  address  and  a 
true  Christian  siji'it.  He  now  joined  the  expedi- 
tion as  an  interpreter. 

A  skillful  draughtsman,  ^.ieut.  Hoppner,  was 
taken  to  sketch  the  headlands  and  bays  and  other 
objects  of  interest,  and  to  devote  his  tinic  es[je- 
cially  to  laying  down  charts  of  'he  coast.  Special 
stress  was  laid,  in  the  orders  given  to  Captain  Ross, 
on  the  importance  of  affording  the  scientific  ofticer 
and  the  artist  every  possible  opi)ortunity  to  o^jerate 
in  their  departments  of  the  service. 

On  the  30th  of  April,  1818,  the  shi[)s  sailed. 
>assed  the   southerr 


»g  \> 


ap 


and  coasting  northernly,  they  were  soon  ice- 
locked.  On  one  occasion  the  two  ships  made  fast 
to  an  iceberg,  and  made  a  merry-time  of  it.  The 
officers  admired  the  scenery.  Far  to  the  east  was 
the  dark  outline  of  ''Greenland's  icy  mountains," 
while  to  the  west  was  a  dreary  horizon  ot  masses 
of  [Kicked  ice.  For  a  short  distance  around  their 
berg  was  open  water. 


r  ;■ 


'iH 


/nil 


w 


if    ••! 


70 


Arctic  Heroes. 


f 

si 


Upon  the  berg  itself  were  sights  worth  seeing. 
The  scientific  men — a  little  groii],) — occupied  an 
isolated  spot,  busy  with  their  instruments.  At  a 
distant  jioint  a  party  of  sailors  were  shooting  sea- 
fowl,  bringing  down  many  at  every  shot;  near  the 
ship  were  sailors  tal'ing  in  ice  for  water;  higher 
u))  the  crystal  mountain  were  some  of  the  men 
amusing  themselves  by  sliding  down  from  the  top 
into  the  valley  below  ;  others  were  quietly  looking 
on,  finding  a  real  ]jleasure  in  seeing  the  hajjj^iness 
of  their  comrades.  But  the  most  exciting  scene 
was  a  b-itH-  going  on  between  a  part  of  the  offi- 
cers and  men  of  tlie  two  ships.  High  up  tlie  tjerg 
was  a  company  behind  an  icy  rami)art.  Below  was 
an  assail i.  g  party,  boldly  ascending,  as  best  they 
could,  the  slip})ery  height  to  dislodge  them,  l^oth 
parties  were  well  armed — with  snow-balls!  'Die 
fight  finally  proved  rather  a  (-o/t/  one,  and  ended 
without  bloodshed.  It  afforded  a  pleasnnt  evi- 
dence that  there  were  no  jealousies  among  the 
members  of  this  expedition. 

Leaving  the  iceberg,  they  found  favorable  sail- 
ing until  they  reached  the  Danish  and  Estpiirao 
settlement  of  Disco.  Here  was  a  fieet  of  twenty- 
five  or  thirty  English  whale-ships,  waiting  for  the 
ice  to  open.  It  had  the  appearance  of  .1  home 
seaport. 

A  party  of  Esquimo  came  on  board  Cai)tain 
Ross'  ship,  and  the  value  of  Sackhouse  as  an  in- 
terpreter was  soon  seen.  A  trade  for  dogs  and 
sledges  was  soon  completed;  after  which  the  artist 
made  a  sketch  of  the  group  of  u.iti  »cs,  whit  h  greatly 


A  Sudden  Retreat, 


pleased  th'^m  ;   they  then   danced  Scotch   reels  on 
deck  with  the  sailors,  to  the  delight  of  all  i)arties. 

Sackhouse  was  especially  attracted  by  one  of 
the  half-Danish  young  ladies.  One  of  the  ofticcrs, 
noticing  his  partiality,  gave  him  a  lady's  shawl, 
sparkling  with  a  sjjangled  border,  as  a  present  to 
the  young  belle.  He  received  it  gladly,  and  pre- 
sented it  to  her  with  a  graceful  bow.  I'he  young 
woman  blushingly  acknowledged  the  gift,  and  in 
return  gave  vSackhouse  a  pewter  ring  taken  from 
her  finger. 

Sackhouse  went  on  shore  with  the  visitors,  and 
not  returning  seasonably  the  next  day,  messengers 
were  sent  to  hunt  him  up.  He  was  fcjund,  after 
some  search,  in  a  hut  seriously  injured  and  suffer- 
ing greatly.  He  had  gone  out  early  to  shoot  some 
specimens  of  natural  history  for  the  members  of 
the  scientific  corps,  Thinking,  as  he  said,  "  Plenty 
powder,  plenty  kill,"  he  had  overloaded  his  gun. 
The  result  was  "  plenty  hurt  "  in  the  breaking  of 
his  collar-bone  by  the  recoil  of  his  gun.  It  was  a 
considerable  time  before  his  full  recovery. 

The  ice  breaking  up,  our  explorers  sailed,  in 
company  with  the  whalers,  up  the  eastern  side  of 
Baffin  liay.  While  the  whole  fleet  were  within 
sight,  at  various  distances,  there  occurred  a  natural 
phenomenon,  curious  enough  to  t!^em,  ])ut  (piite 
common  in  the  arctic  regions,  vSome  of  these 
ships,  by  unequal  refraction,  appeared  from  the 
deck  of  the  "  Isabella  "  as  if  they  were  lifted  up  to 
.a  great  height,  while  others  at  a  greater  distance 
were  flattened  to  the  surface  of  the  sea, 


I 


«i 


\%\ 


72 


Arctic  Heroes. 


I  •      I. 


1 

'A 


The  slii[)S  were  soon  taiiu;lu  to  keep  out  of  each 
other's  way,  as  the  mighty  i(  e-currents  sometimes 
brought  tliem  in  violent  collision  with  each  other. 

Occasionally  the  ships  were  towed  along  the 
edge  of  great  masses  of  floating  ice  by  the  sailors 
tugging  at  a  long  rope.  As  the  ice  was  thin,  they 
not  unfrequently  broke  through  and  received  a 
cold  bath,  iUit  as  they  did  ncjt  ha[)pen  all  to 
break  through  at  the  same  time,  the  unfortunate 
one  had  only  to  hold  fast  to  the  rojje  and  be 
drawn  out. 

The  explorers  came,  at  one  time,  to  an  island 
about  which  were  some  Es([uimo  with  their  dog- 
sledges,  the  ice  being  unbroken  on  the  land  side. 
They  had  evidently  never  seen  white  men  nor 
their  ships.  They  looked  amazed  for  awhile,  and 
then  scampered  off.  In  a  few  hours  they  sliyly 
returned.  Sackhouse  api)roached  them  with  signs 
of  peace.  When  at  a  distance  he  shouted,  "  Come 
on!"  to  which  they  replied,  "No;  go  away!" 
One  drew  his  knife,  and  added,  "  I  can  kill  you  !  " 

But  Sackhouse  was  full  of  tact  and  courage. 
He  threw  them  some  beads  and  a  shirt.  These  de- 
sirable things  not  ({uite  overcoming  their  fears,  he 
tossed  them  an  luiglish  knife.  'I'hey  made  a  rush 
for  this,  and,  as  one  picked  it  uji,  they  all  pulled 
their  noses  and  exclaimed,  '*  Heigh  yaw  !  "  Sack- 
house  pulled  his  own  nose  and  echoed,  '*  Heigh  yaw !" 

The  gifts,  nose  pulling,  and  "yaws"  were  potent 
peace-makers,  and  a  talk  commenced. 

"What,"  asked  the  natives,  pointing  to  the 
ships,  "are  those  great  creatures.''" 


yl  Sudden  Rclrcat. 


ih 
Id 


0 


"  Houses  made  of  wood,"  s:iid  Sackhoiise. 

"  No;  they  are  alive.  We  saw  them  mi)ve  their 
wings,      bid  they  come  from  the  sun  or  moon  .^  " 

"  From  that  way,"  said  Sixkhouse,  pointing 
south. 

"  No,"  said  the  doubting  natives;  "there  is  only 
ice  that  way." 

As  the  I'lsquimo  could  not  be  enticed  on  board 
the  ships,  commanders  Ross  and  Parry  came  out 
with  their  hands  full  of  presents.  'J'he  Es(|uimo 
began  to  move  off  at  their  ap[)roach.  Sack- 
liousc  called  to  the  ofhcers  to  i)ull  their  noses 
and  shout,  "Ileigh  yawl"  'I'he  magic  words 
opened  a  friendly  intetcourse.  Among  other  gifts 
they  were  jjresented  with  a  looking-glass.  They 
gazed  steadily  at  their  own  faces  for  a  few  mo- 
ments in  blank  amazement,  and  then  broke  into 
an  immoderate  laugh,  in  which  both  parties  joined 
heartily.      ^ 

The  exj)edition  reached  at  last  Smith  Sound, 
as  it  was  called,  but  Ross  strangely  passed  it  by 
without  attempting  an  ex[)loration  ;  in  the  same 
way  he  jjassed  Jones  Sound,  losing  the  op[)or- 
tunity  of  proving  that  they  were  both  straits. 

Entering  I.ancaster  Sound,  they  found  the  water 
entirely  free  from  ice  in  a  westerly  direction.  With 
high  hf)pes,  before  favoring  winds,  they  sailed  for 
awhile  directly  on  the  highway  to  the  s])ice  islands 
of  India,  as  most,  if  not  all  the  men,  e\cei)t  Ross, 
believed.  All  at  once  the  "  Isabella"  tacked  ship 
on  the  return  vo)  age.  Parry  reluctantly  followed  in 
the  "Alexander,"    .    i-if'ed  and  vexed.    The  expe- 


I 


f 


1 ' ' 


4  **„ 


ff 


1 


If 


^1  It 


lii 


'•?■ 


Kl 


74 


Arctic  Heroes. 


dilion  arrived  safely  in  England,  where  a  hue  and 
cry  was  raised  against  Ross.  He  declared,  in  self- 
defense,  that  he  clearly  saw  a-head  a  dark  outline 
of  mountain  barriers,  proving  that  navigation  ex- 
tended no  further.  As  it  has  since  been  proved 
that  none  existed,  it  is  not  strange  that  Parry  did 
not  see  them. 

Thus    ingloriously    ended    this   finely-equipped 
expedition. 


I 


Striking  Incidents. 


75 


i1 


CHAPTER   IX. 

STRIKING    INCIDENTS. 

AT  the  same  time  that  the  Ross  and  Parry 
expedition  left  England  for  Baffin  Bay,  two 
other  ships  sailed  on  the  same  general  errand. 
They  were  the  "Dorothea"  and  "Trent."  The 
first  was  commanded  by  Captain  Buchan,  in  com- 
mand also  of  the  expedition,  and  the  other  by 
Lieutenant  John  Franklin.  Captain  Buchan  was 
instructed  to  sail  his  ships  between  S])itzbergen  and 
Greenland,  touching  at  neither,  but  keeping  straight 
on  to  the  North  Pole,  and  from  thence  to  the  ap- 
pointed place  of  meeting  with  Ross'  ships  on  the 
western  coast  of  America.  Both  expeditions  were 
to  "  conquer  success,"  and  do  what  others  had  so 
long  tried  to  do.  We  have  seen  how  Ross  came 
out ;  let  us  follow  Buchan. 

He,  too,  as  an  incidental  but  important  duty, 
was  to  see  that  all  possible  experiments  were  made 
during  the  voyage  "on  the  elliptical  figure  of  the 
earth  ;  on  magnetic  phenomena  ;  on  the  refraction 
of  the  atmosphere  in  high  latitudes  in  ordinary 
circumstances,  and  over  extensive  masses  of  ice ; 
and  on  the  temperature  and  specific  gravity  of  the 
sea  at  the  surface  and  at  various  depths;  and  on 
meteorological  and  other  interesting  phenomena." 

The  two  ships,  having  left  England  in  April,  1818, 


I 


s  i 


fi 


'11 
ml. 


hi 
ril 


76 


Arctic  Hi:i<oes. 


I    it! 


li 


wi;re  in  a  few  weeks  entangled  in  tlie  ire,  with  a 
storm  iii)on  tlieni.  'i'hev,  however,  kept  t(Jij;ether, 
and  succeeded  in  t^ettinir  under  the  lee  of  Hear 
Island,  lying  nearly  two  degrees  south  of  Spit/- 
bergen.  This  was  then  a  famous  fishing-ground, 
but  was  especially  noted  as  a  resort  for  walruses. 
The  Muscovy  Comi)any  sent  its  ships  here  for 
their  (jil.  One  ship's  crew  sometimes  killed  a 
thousand  of  these  sea-monsters  in  a  single  day. 
Some  of  them  are  as  large  as  the  average  si/e  of 
our  oxen.  'I'heir  face  is  said  to  have  s(^mewhat  of 
a  human  ex])ression.  It  will  appear  from  the  f(jl- 
lowing  facts,  given  by  Lieutenant  I)eechey,an  oflicer 
of  the  exjicdition.  that  they  ])ossessed  great  affec- 
tion among  themselves,  though  savage  toward  their 
enemies.  Me  says:  "In  the  vast  sheets  of  ice 
which  surrounded  the  ships  there  were  occasionally 
many  pools ;  and  when  the  weather  was  clear  and 
warm,  animals  of  various  kinds  would  fre(iuently 
rise  and  si)ort  in  them,  or  crawl  from  thence  upon 
the  ice  to  bask  in  the  warmth  of  the  sun.  A  walrus 
rose  in  one  of  these  pools,  or  ojjenings  in  the  ice, 
close  to  the  ship,  and,  finding  every  thing  (juict, 
dived  down  and  brought  up  its  young,  which  it 
held  by  the  breast  by  pressing  it  with  its  llijj[)er. 
In  this  mr.iner  it  moved  about  the  }>ool,  keej)ing 
in  an  erect  posture,  and  always  directing  the  face 
of  the  young  toward  the  vessel.  On  the  slightest 
movement  on  l)oard  the  mother  released  her 
llipl^er  an.d  jnished  the  young  one  under  the  water; 
but  when  every  thing  was  again  »|uiet  brought  it 
tip  as  before,  and  for  a  length  of  time  continued 


StriktHi^  Iiicidoits. 


77 


to  play  a])out  in  the  pool,  to  tlie  great  aimiseinent 
of  the  seamen,  who  gave  her  credit  for  abilities  in 
instructing  her  young,  which,  though  i»ossessed  of 
considerable  sagacity,  she  hardly  merited." 

Another  scene  presented  by  the  walruses  was 
quite  as  serious  as  amusing,  and,  though  a  litik,- 
comic,  came  (juite  near  being  tragical.  One  of 
the  sailors  of  the  "Trent"  having,  from  the  ship's 
deck,  wounded  a  walrus,  a  i)arty  of  seamen  manned 
a  boat  to  secure  the  prize.  No  sooner  liad  they 
pushed  off  from  the  ship  than  a  detachment  of  the 
walrus  army  attacked  them.  'I'hey  came  on,  snort- 
ing with  rage,  and  terrific  in  numbers,  size,  and 
swiftness,  with  which  they  rushed  to  the  assatdt. 
The  boat's  crew  were  taken  by  sur])rise  and  thrown 
off  their  guard.  Some  of  the  enemy,  making  a 
battering-ram  of  their  heads,  rushed  furiously  at 
the  boat's  sides,  making  it  tremble  in  every  joint 
with  the  concussion.  Others  endeavored  to  upset 
it  i)y  hanging  over  its  sides  while  hooked  on  by 
their  tusks.  lUit  the  crew,  recovering  their  self- 
possession,  fought  for  their  lives.  They  pricked 
the  enemy  in  the  face  with  sharp  lances,  or  smote 
them  over  the  head  with  hatchets.  They,  however, 
were  growing  faint  with  the  unefpial  contest,  while 
the  walrus  leaders  ])ushed  forward  fresh  recruits  to 
take  the  place  of  their  wounded  comrades.  Just 
at  this  crisis  a  monster  walrus,  evidently  the  (  ham- 
pion  assailant,  rushed  \\\)ox\  the  boat  and  seized  it 
with  his  great  tusks.  He  had  darted  in,  to  K:ni,\  the 
fray,  jjroclaim  the  victory,  and  carry  off  the  sjjoils. 
]3ut  there  was  one  loaded  gun  in  the  boat  which 


'■ifi 


% 


'>  <i 


m 


n 


-f 


^ 


i.i 


!    , 


7« 


Arctic  IIi'Kof.s. 


luid  been  licld  in  reserve,  as  there  was  no  time  to 


load    others. 


Th 


IS 


a    sailor    seizec 


1,    tl 


irust    Its 


muzzle  (hjwn  the  monster's  throat,  and  fired.  The 
l)oastful  champion  floated  off,' a  lifeless  mass  of  oil 
and  blid)l)er.  His  companions  instantly  snorted 
a  retreat,  and  literally  bore  liim  oil",  keeping  him 
from  sinkinj4  by  swimming  under  him,  and  bearing 
him  up  by  their  tusks. 

At  one  time  a  larj^e  number  of  walruses  were 
basking  in  the  sun  upon  the  beach.  The  seamen 
fired  into  them,  wounding  several,  while  the  rest 
rushed  into  the  sea.  Recovering  from  their  panic, 
they  returned,  and  seeing  no  enemy  near  com- 
menced tumbling  their  wounded  fellows  o\er  with 
their  tusks  until  they  reached  the  water;  .hus  re- 
covering the  fallen,  they  all  disappeared  together. 

On  the  28th  of  May  an  arctic  fog  enveloped  the 
ships  soon  after  they  had  sailed  for  Bear  Island. 
A  blinding  snow  was  added  to  the  fog,  and  the 
ships  lost  sight  of  each  other.  I'hey  had  agreed 
that  in  such  a  case  they  would  meet  in  Magda- 
lena  Bay,  a  good  anchorage  on  the  north-west  side 
of  Spitzbergen,  where  they  were  both  snugly  shel- 
tered on  the  3d  of  June.  They  had  learned,  as 
might  have  been  expected,  that  it  was  impossible 
to  sail  to  the  pole,  as  they  had  been  instructed, 
without  touching  either  at  Greenland  or  Spitz- 
bergen. "  That  little  way  to  the  North  Pole,"  as 
one  of  their  patrons  had  lightly  termed  it,  was  a 
bit  harder  to  navigate  than  the  landsman  su])posed. 

A  marked  feature  of  Magdalena  Bay  was  four 
glaciers,  the  smallest  two  hundred  feet  high,  mov- 


V' 


StrikiuiT  hicidoits. 


79 


ing  seaward  over  the  slope  of  a  mountain.  The 
largest  of  the  four  extended  several  miles  inland  ; 
the  smallest  was  called  the  "  11  angina;  h  eberg," 
as  it  seemed  re.idy  at  any  time  U)  droj)  into  the 
sea.  So  slightly,  in  fart,  did  the  |)rojc(ting  ice  of 
the  glaciers  adhere  to  the  mountain  or  the  con- 
gealed mass  behind  it,  that  the  least  noise  brought 
down  a  berg.  Deechey  describes  two  very  grand 
launches  of  this  kind,  which  the-  ex|)Iorers  were 
fortunate  enough  to  witness.  He  says:  "The 
first  was  occasioned  by  the  discharge  of  a  musket 
at  about  a  half  a  mile's  distance  from  the  glacier. 
Immediately  after  the  report  of  the  gun  a  noise 
like  thunder  was  heard  in  the  direction  of  the 
glacier,  and  in  a  few  seconds  more  an  immense 
piece  broke  away  and  fell  headlong  into  the  sea. 
The  crew  of  the  launch,  suj)posing  themselves  to 
be  beyond  its  influence,  quietly  looked  upon  the 
scene.  Presently  a  sea  arose  and  rolled  toward 
the  shore  with  such  rapidity,  that  the  crew  had  no 
time  to  take  any  precautions,  '('he  boat  was  in 
consequence  washed  upon  the  beach  and  com- 
pletely filled  by  the  succeeding  wave.  As  soon  as 
their  astonishment  had  subsided  they  examined 
their  boat.  They  found  her  so  badly  stove  that 
it  was  necessary  to  rei^air  her  in  order  to  re- 
turn to  the  ship.  They  had  also  the  curiosity  to 
measure  the  distance  the  boat  had  been  carried 
by  the  wave,  and  found  it  to  be  ninety-six 
feet." 

At   another  time  Beechey  and  his  companions 
were   treated   to  a  still  grander  sight:   "This  oc- 


■1'! 


'  !i'' 

4  ! 


>J  '^ 


111 


1 

j .  J 

m    jj 

i     1 

(.:■, 

il 

ff 

.* 

it* 

Hi 


•  I 


A 


r 


\V  t* 


80 


Akl'J'ic  Hr:KC)KS. 


rurri'd,"  he  snys,  "on  a  remarkably  fine  day,  wlieti 
the  (|uietness  of  the  l)ay  was  first  interrupted  hy 
the  Tailing  l)()(ly.  Lieiitenanl  l''raiiklin  and  my- 
self had  approaeiied  one  (>(  thesu  stu|)endous 
walls  of  ice,  and  were  endeiivoring  to  search  into 
the  innermost  recess  of  a  deej)  cavern  that  was 
near  the  foot  of  the  glacier,  when  we  heard  a 
report  as  of  a  cannon,  and,  turning  to  the  (juarter 
whence  it  ])roceeded,  we  perceived  an  immense 
piece  of  the  point  of  the  herg  sliding  down  from 
the  height  of  tw(;  hundred  feet  at  least,  into  the 
sea.  It  dis|)ersed  the  water  in  every  direction, 
accompanied  by  a  loud  grinding  noise,  A  (pian- 
tity  of  water  which  had  previously  been  lodged  in 
fissures,  now  made  its  escape  over  the  point  of  the 
glacier,  in  many  small  cataracts." 

The  immense  waves  created  by  this  majestic 
launch,  rolled  over  the  bay  and  struck  the  "  Dor- 
othea," which  lay  upon  her  side,  aground,  four 
miles  away,  'i'hey  released  her  tackle,  ])Ut  her 
in  an  iii)right  position,  and  passed  on,  seeming  to 
laugh  at  the  sport  they  made  as  she  reeled  and 
tumbled  at  their  bidding.  I>eechey  adds  :  "The 
])iece  that  had  been  disengaged,  at  first  wholly 
disapi)eared  under  water,  and  nothing  was  seen 
but  a  violent  boiling  of  the  sea,  and  a  shooting  uj) 
of  clouds  of  spray,  like  that  which  occurs  at  the 
foot  of  a  great  cataract.  After  a  time  it  reap- 
I)eared,  raising  its  head  full  a  hundred  feet  above 
the  surface,  with  water  jjouring  down  from  all 
parts  of  it.  Then,  laboring  as  if  in  doubt  which 
way  it  should  fal!7  it   rolled  over,  and,  after  rock- 


StrikifiiS  Incidents. 


8r 


ing  about  sr)nie  minutt's,  at  length  became  settled. 
We  now  approached  and  found  it  nearly  a  (piarter 
of  i  mile  in  circuinferenee,  anil  sixty  feet  f)Ut  of 
water.  Knowin[,'  its  specific  gravity,  and  niakitii^^ 
a  fair  allowance  for  its  inequalities,  we  conipuicd 
its    weiiiht    at    4=; 1 1660    tons.      A    stream    of    salt 


water  was  s 


till  tl( 


owinti  down   its   sides,  aiu 


d  i: 


icre 


was  a  continual  cracking  noise,  as  loud  as  that  of 
a  cart   whij),  occasioned,  I  sup[)ose,  by  the  escape 


of  (onfi 


ned 


air. 


()ur  i'Xi)lorers  found,   as  others   have   (huie,  the 
temj)erature  on   the  west  coast  of  Spitzbergen   to 


be  mild,  there  beinu  little  sensation  of  cohl,  cv 


un 


w 


hen  the  thermometer  was  (;nly  a  few  degrees 
above  freezing.  When  the  sun  shone  through 
the  pure  atmosjihere  the  effect  was  enlivening 
and  brilliant.  The  azure  hue  was  more  clearly 
defined  than  that  of  an  Italian  sky.  The  radia- 
tion of  the  sun  was  intense  at  times.  Heechey 
says:  "  Hence  are  found  rarities  of  Al[)ine  i)lants, 


grasses,   am 


1   lid 


lens,   sue 


h 


as    m    more    southern 


climes  flourish  in  great  luxuriance.  They  are 
found  ascending  to  a  consideralWe  height,  so  that 
we  have  fre([uently  seen  the  raindeer  browsing  at 
an  elevation  of  fifteen  hundred  feet." 

'I'he  shores  of  the  islands  (;f  .Spitzbergen  are 
the  resort  of  animals  of  various  kinds  and  in 
great  numbers.  The  exi)lorers  found  Magdalena 
Bay  a  lively  [)lace  in  this  respect.  Sea  birds,  of 
various  species,  filled  the  air  with  th.eir  merry 
cries.  Wlierever  they  went,  groups  of  walruses 
were  basking  in  the   sun    and  indulging   in    their 


il 


lii 


t\.\ 


;1 


% 


82 


Arctic  Heroes. 


playful  roar.     The  husky  bark  of  the  seal  saluted 
their  ears  by  day  and  night, 

Beechey  in   referring  to  the  great  numbers  of 

"the   little   auli,"  one   variety  of  sea-fowl,   says: 

"We  have  frec[uently  seen  an  uninterrupted  line 

of  them,  extending  full  half  way  over  the  bay,  or 

to  a  distancf^   of  more  than   three   miles,   and   so 

close  toj.L't I. •,■";;  Uv3l  thirly  have  fallen  at  one  shot. 

T]it<i  ii'   i.u  rcKium  mir^hi  he  ibout  six  yards  broad 

V  aiiij  O'i  'vi     'j  'Jeep;  :.q  that,  allowing  six  birds  to 

a  cAuAc  yard,  there  vvu'.dd  be  four  millions  of  these 

creatures  on  the  win^  at  noe  time.     They  rise   in 

such  nuivibe'i]    as   to   darken    the    air,    and    their 

■chc:u3  is  dif ..inct'y  aiidibk^  at  a  distance  of  four 

-  rniler.." 

At  viie  ot  tiie  i'jl.ts  they  found  the  Eider-duck 
in  such  numbers  that  it  wjs  difficult  to  walk  with- 
out Ueadin^v  on  ilu-'ir  nests.  Against  all  ordinary 
intnKicr>:  of  tVi't  sea-fo".vl  kind  they  fought  with 
courage.  When  foxes,  or  other  largv..  animals, 
appioached,  th'-v  iias*ily  drew  over  their  eggs  the 
fi,  j»vn  of  iheir  nests  and  glued  it  down  by  a.i  offen- 
sive yellow  fluid.  This  protection  was  complete 
when  once  tlie  enemy  snuffed  the  odoi". 

The  islands  near  the  anchorage  of  the  shijjs 
were  clothed  with  a  soft  carpet  of  moss.  To 
these  pastures  herds  of  deer  swam,  feasted,  and 
grew  fat  in  great  numbers.  One  small  island 
above  supplied  the  expedition  with  forty  carcasses, 
the  fat  on  the  loins  of  which  was  from  four  to 
six  inches  thick.  One  of  them  weighed  two  hun- 
dred and  eighty-five  pounds. 


I 


Striking  Incidents. 


8 


« 


Of  the  affection  of  these  beautiful  animals 
Becchey  tluis  writes  :  "  They  showed  evident 
marks  of  affection  for  each  other.  They  were  at 
tlii.s  time  in  pairs,  and  when  one  was  shot  the 
other  would  h.;ng  over  it  and  occasionally  lick  it, 
bemoaning  its  fate;  and,  if  not  immediarely  killed, 
would  stand  three  or  four  shots  ratiier  than  leave 
its  companion.  This  compassionate  conduct,  it  is 
needless  to  say,  doubled  our  chance  of  sue  ess, 
though  I  must  confess  it  was  obtained  in  violation 
of  our  better  feelings." 

The  boats  of  the  "Trent"  captured  several 
reindeer  as  they  were  swimmiiig  from  one  island 
to  another,  'i'hese  they  attempted  to  domesticate 
on  board  of  the  shi[),  but  the  jioor  things  were  so 
frightened  that  they  broke  their  limbs  in  their 
struggles,  and  were  in  mercy  killed. 

On  the  7th  of  June  the  ships  attempted  to  pio- 
ceed  on  their  voyage  to  the  pole.  They  had  the 
usual  amount  of  buiTetings  by  the  winds,  driftings 
by  adverse  currents,  and  collisions  and  imj^edi- 
ments  in  the  floating  ice,  resulting  in  their  return, 
after  about  three  weeks,  to  Magdalena  Bay. 

Resting  awhile,  and  repairing  damages,  they 
again  steered  northward.  This  time  the  ship 
*'  Dorothea"  was  more  roughly  handled,  and  came 
near  going  down  with  all  her  crew.  'I'he  "  i'rent," 
under  the  management  of  the  skillful  I'Vanklin, 
fared  l)etter,  but  was  badly  battered.  Both  re- 
turned to  Spitzbergen  for  repairs,  and  then  re- 
luctandy  returned  to  England  with  the  old  report 

— Ice  is  king  at  the  north  ! 
6 


^!s 


\l 


»  111 


l»     -i 

i 

J. 


84 


Arctic  Heroes. 


1 


CHAPTER  X. 

IMPORTANT     SUCCESS. 

TmC  two  c.\j)l()rations  just  noticed — Ross'  to 
Lancc'^ter  Sound,  and  Buchan's  to  Spitz- 
bergen — having  ended,  others  were  immediately 
projected.  Commander  Ross  fell  into  the  back 
ground  for  seeing  mountain  obstacles  where  none 
were.      His  second  in  command.  Lieutenant  Parry, 


was  the 


coming  man. 


lie    had  declared  that 


all  attempts  at  the  north  had  been  abandoned  on 
the  eve  of  success.  His  faith  and  courage  were 
suited  to  the  spirit  of  the  times,  and  his  subse- 
quent success  ])roved  that  both  sprung  from  real 
str'cngth  of  character.  As  we  are  to  sail  with  this 
noted  discoverer  now  for  the  first  lime  in  full 
command,  let  us  pause  and  seek  a  more  intimate 
ac(}uaintance  before  we  start. 

Edward  Parr^  ivas  the  son  of  Dr.  ]\irry,  »)f 
Bath,  J^lngland.  He  early  manifested  :i  desire  to 
»ee  the  world.  When  a  child  he  was  once  found 
in  his  father's  librlfc-y  astride  of  n  globe.  Not 
finding  it  the  most  convenient  hobby-horse,  he 
looked  on  this  side  and  then  on  that,  as  he  sat 
mounted,  and  exclaimed,  "  How  wise  it  would  be 
to  go  round  it  !  "  Vet  he  neither  purposed  nor 
desired  to  enter  the  navy.  But  a  divinity  directed 
he  tide  of  his  life,  which  he  wisely  took   at   the 


luiportaiit  Success.  85 

flood.     Until   within   j    few  days  of  his   first   sea 
voyage   lic    was    ^tu(lying    his    father's   profession, 
wliich  lie    intended   soon   to   enter.      It   hapi'ened 
that  just  at  this  time  a  hidy  friend  was  visitnvj;  the 
family   who  was    rel.Ucd    to   Admiral    Cornwallis, 
then  in  command  of  the  Channel  fleet.     W'iih  a 
woman's  instinct,  tliis  lady  friend  had  seen   i^d- 
ward's  adaptation  to  the  sea,  and  had  often  urged 
his    father    to    ])larc    him    in    the  navy.     Strange 
enough,  she  at  this  m(jment   succeeded,  wiien  he 
was  on  the  eve  of  professional  life — the  father  con- 
senting and  the  son  agreeing  to   go  on  a  sea  no)- 
age.     Admiral  Cornwallis  was  "  interviewed,"  and 
in  a  few  days  Kdnard  was  shii)i>ed  on  board    the 
"\'ille  d*:;  Taris."     His  ship  was  immediately  sent 
to  aid  in  oluckading  the  French  coast  t(^  prevent 
Bonaparte  from  invading  England.     He  afterward 
saw  service  in  the  Baltic,  and  later,  in  the  arctic 
seas,  with   the  whale-fishery  protection  fleet.      He 
had    been    in     Halifax     almost     soon    enough    to 
snuff  the  smoke  of  the  famous  battle  between  the 
"  Chesapeake  "and  "  Shannon."    So,  though  he  had 
not    gone    round   the  globe,  he  had    ])eercd    over 
some  of  its  edges.     In  1817  he  was  recalled  from 
service  in  Bermuda  by  the  alarming  illness  of  his 
father.     Remaining  idle  for  some  time  he   felt  a 
sailor's  restlessness,  and  wrote  to  a  friend,  seeking 
a    position    in    an    African    discoverv   expedition. 
Before  closing  ihe  letter,  his  eye  fell  u[)on  a  scrap 
in   a    newspaper    cone  erning   a  polar  expedition. 
He  at  once  added  :  "  Hot  or  cold  is  all  one  to  rne 
— .Africa  or  the  l\;le."     This  letter  was  shown  to 


# 


fill 


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86 


Arctic  IIkkoes. 


1  ' 


E' 


M'-.  Barrow — Serretar}-  of  the  Admiralty,  ^Tfer- 
ward  Sir  John — tlicn  the  chief  official  promoter  of 
arctic  discovery  voyages.  He  smiled,  pocketed 
the  letter,  and  obtained  for  Edward  a  commission 
as  second  in  command  of  tiie  John  Ross  expedi- 
tion, where  we  have  made  a  slight  but  favorable 
acquaintance  with  him. 

Let  us  now  return  to  the  story  of  this  chajjter — 
Parry's  first  voyage  in  full  command. 

In  two  months  afier  the  arrival  in  England  of 
the  ships  sent  out  in  1818,  two  ships,  the  "  Hecla" 
and  "  ('iri|)er,"  were  sent  into  the  naval  dock  to  be 
made  as  strong  as  oak  and  iron  could  be  made,  to 
fight  th..  arctic  ice  in  the  spring  of  1819.  Clreat 
deliberation  and  careful  incjuiry  and  examination 
were  used  by  the  Admiralty  before  selecting  a 
commander.  But  Tarry  said  playfully,  "  I  am  sure 
they  \\]]\  give  me  some  finger  in  this  new  pic." 
He  was  at  last  ])ut  in  command,  and  given  the  au- 
thority necessary  to  equip  the  ships  and  appoint 
their  officers  and  crew.  The  command  of  the 
"Griper,"  a  gun-brig  of  one  hundred  and  eighty 
tons,  was  given  to  Lieutenant  Liddon, 

It  is  a  singular  fact  that  while  Parry  was  given 
this  flattering  authority,  yet  he  sailed  on  this  ex- 
pedition with  no  higher  rank  than  that  of  lieu- 
tenant, while  his  neglected  former  commander, 
Ross,  was  promoted  to  a  captaincy.  The  pro- 
motion was  given,  probably,  to  conciliate  wounded 


pr 


u 


le.     Parrv,  who  never  seemed  at   a    to^ 


pertinent  word,  complacently  remarks  m  reference 
to  these    facte.    "Promotion   is    nothing    to   the 


Important  Success. 


«7 


command  of  the  '  Hecla,'  with  the  chart  of  Lan- 
caster Sound  in  my  hand." 

'I'he  two  vessels  contained  ninety-four  men, 
fifty-eight  in  the  "  Ilecla,"  and  thirty-six  in  the 
"  Grii)er."  They  sailed  on  the  nth  of  ^Tay,  1819, 
a  fortnit^ht  later  tlian  the  start  of  the  preceding 
year.  JUit  they  made  better  time  by  a  month  in 
reach i  in  the  mouth  of  Lancaster  Sound.  But  to 
reach  it  they  had  to  fight  tlieir  way  along  the 
west  coast  of  (ireenland,  although  they  had  no 
worse  difficulty  than  "  lloes  "  and  threatening  bergs. 
But  when  they  undertook  to  force  their  way  through 
the  middle  i)ack,  the  work  was  truly  terrifying. 
Now  they  were  pushing  cautiously  through  the 
loose  current  or  wind-driven  ice  ;  then  thev  were 
"tracking"  along  the  edge  of  ice  as  solid,  appar- 
ently, as  the  land,  the  sailors  strung  along  with  tiie 
drag  ropes  over  their  shoulders  ;  and,  at  another 
time,  they  hastily  "  tumbled  "  into  their  boats  to 
tow  the  ship  from  a  threatened  "nip"  between 
two  icebergs.  A  week  was  thus  sj)ent ;  the  western 
side  of  Baffin  Bay  was  gained.  A\'ith  a  fair,  fresh 
breeze,  a  clear  sea  and  jubilant  feelings,  the  ships 
entered,  and  went  spanking  up  Lancaster  Sound. 
The  mast-heads  were  crowded  by  the  officers,  and 
the  men  were  scattered  about  the  rigging,  all  with 
throbbing  hearts,  waiting  the  developments  of  theii' 
sailing  through  these  hitherto  unknown  waters. 
The  men  on  deck  received  the  messages  sent  down 
from  the  crow's-nest  with  almost  breathless  inter- 
est. Every  day's  western  progress  added  to  their 
now  greatly  excited  hope.     On  and  still  01.   they 


t!; 


1, 


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1 

88 


Arctic  Heroes, 


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sailed,  and  no  bugbear  mountains  impeded  their 
course,  nor  for  a  long  time  did  any  real  obstacle 
destroy  their  ciurished  exj)ectations.  Once  land 
ahead  caused  a  momentary  despondency,  but  it 
proved  to  be  an  island.  In  endeavoring  to  go 
south  of  it,  they  discovered  an  opening  fiDin  the 
Sound  southward  \vhi(  Ii  Tarry  nanied  I'rince 
Regent  Inlet.  vSoon  after  they  discovered  a  brt/ad 
channel  to  the  north,  and  called  it  Welliiigton 
Channel.  Thus  they  were  giving  to  the  world 
a  knowledge  of  these  im})ortant  waters  which 
stand  so  jjrominent  on  the  present  maps  of  the 
arctic  regions. 

A\'hen  they  had  sailed  to  the  ioo°  west  longi- 
tude, a  curious  and  important  incident  occurred. 
The  compasses  first  became  very  sluggish,  and 
then  failed  altogether  as  they  turned  into  Trince 
Regent  Inlet.  They  felt  sure  the  "  magnetic 
north  pole  "  was  not  far  away,  but  they  could  not 
stop  to  ascertain  the  interesting  fact,  for  were 
they  not  at  last  on  the  long-sought  northern  high- 
way to  India  .'  A\'hat  was  the  magnetic  pole  to 
that  ?  They  soon  re.u  hed  the  meridian,  i  io°  west 
from  (ireenwich.  ilis  majesty's  government  had 
offered  ^25,000  to  those  of  his  subjects  who  first 
reached  this  j)oint,  and  the  money  was  now  theirs  ! 
They  lay  now  off  a  large  island  to  which  they  gave 
the  name  Melville.  They  pushed  on  some  days 
more,  slowly  and  laboriously  towing  and  warjjing 
the  ships,  until  thev  were  reluctantly  convinced 
that  nothing  was  kit  to  them  but  to  find,  as  well 
as  they  could,  the  best  iiarbor  in  which  to  spend 


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the  long  arrtir  winter.  ( )i-i  the  T2th  of  Sei)temher 
thev  were  hchl  fast  hv  tho  ice.  A  <  (jinpanv  was 
sent  out  to  obtain  inforinalion  concerning  tlieir 
])osition,  and  the)  wi.'re  o\'ert;ikei"i  h\  a  snow-storm, 
and  did  not  return  at  tlie  apiiointed  time.  I'our 
other  parties  were  sent  in  seart  h  of  them,  and 
several  days  of  paijiful  suspen^e  |)assed  before  all 
were  safely  returned.  A  good  harbor  was  found, 
under  Melville  Island,  two  miles  off.  To  this  they 
resolved  to  cut  a  channel  and  tra(  k  their  ships. 
They  accomplished  it  in  four  days,  officers  and 
men  working  in  good  spirits,  though  often  up  to 
their  knees  in  water.  They  anchored  the  ships 
about  a  "  cable's  length  "  from  the  shore,  amid  the 
heartiest  cheers. 

Parry's  qualifications  as  a  leader  in  an  arctic 
adventure  were  now  more  than  ever  to  be  tested. 
To  govern  men  having  the  shar])  points  of  cliar- 
acter  possessed  by  sailors  requires  a  master-hand, 
even  when  there  is  work  for  them  to  do,  and  hope 
of  the  immediate  accomplishment  of  a  desired 
end  to  stimulate  them.  Hut  to  keej)  them  under 
discipline  and  in  good  si)irits  through  long  months 
of  darkness,  with  nothing  to  do,  is  the  test  of 
superior  tact  and  energy.  Fortunately  Parry  was 
equal  to  the  situation. 

The  ships  were  immediately  strip])ed  of  their 
sails,  the  upper  dec:ks  cleared  and  covered  in. 
This  made  a  roomy  place  tor  exercise  and  amuse- 
ments. Hunting  parties  were  organized  and  "  game 
laws"  established,  that  they  who  "stayed  by  the 
stuff"  might  share  with  tn(;se  who  took  the  ])rey. 


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92 


Arctic  IIkrofs. 


But  game  was  not  abundant.  The  musk-ox's  time 
to  arrive  at  the  ^i(■inity  was  in  May,  and  his  time 
to  leave  was  the  last  of  September — just  as  the 
strangers  arrived.  Hears  were  occasional  visitors, 
and  the  deer  herds  remained  only  through  Octo- 
ber. The  men  seemed  not  to  be  skilled  in  taking 
these  animals,  though  they  shot  a  few  deer.  Once 
a  bear  followed  a  man  to  the  very  side  of  the  ship. 
He  was  wounded,  but  got  off.  On  another  occa- 
sion fifteen  deer  were  seen  lying  down,  not  afar 
off,  guarded  by  a  faithful  stag,  who  stood  as  a 
sentinel  with  head  and  ears  erect.  They  were 
ai)])roached  by  the  hunters  and  off  they  ran,  their 
leader  giving  the  alarm  and  occasionally  making 
the  entire  circuit  of  the  fleeing  herd  as  if  to  warn 
them  to  keep  together;  when  any  one  lagged  be- 
hind he  quickened  its  ste[)s  by  a  blow  on  the  rump 
with  his  horns.  Not  one  was  taken  by  the  pur- 
suers. Neither  seals  nor  walruses  were  seen ; 
even  most  of  the  sea-fowls  left  before  mid-winter. 
Wolves  and  foxes  remained  to  give  hideousness  to 
the  darkness.  The  "  great  whales  "  were  abun- 
dant, but  none  accommodatingly  stranded  upon 
the  beach,  as  they  did  for  the  shipwrecked  island- 
ers of  the  Bering  expedition. 

Vegetation  was  as  meager  as  the  animals  Avere 
few.  Dwarfed  willows,  a  mean  saxifrage,  and 
small  mosses  and  grass,  made  nearly  the  sum  of 
Melville  Island  greenness.  It  was,  indeed,  a  dis- 
mal place,  and  contrasted  sharply  with  the  hoped- 
for  islands  beyond  the  continent  to  which  they 
believed,  a  few  weeks  before,  they  were  sailing. 


*'  TOliM»«»  V 


Important  Success. 


93 


But  Parry  kept  the  thoughts  of  his  men  pleasantly- 
occupied. 

Each  tlay  nil  took  a  dose  of  lime-juice  and 
water  as  a  preventive  of  scurvy.  The  sailors  had 
their  times  of  marching  around  the  cleared  and 
covered  upjjer-deck,  to  the  tune  of  a  hand-organ 
and  vivacious  songs. 

The  sun  left  them  the  5th  of  November,  l)Ut  the 
men's  thoughts  were  taken  from  the  gloomy  fact 
by  the  commencement  of  a  series  of  ingeniously 
continued  amusements.  Dramatical  ])erformances 
had  been  suggested,  and  LieutL-nant  lieechey  was 
ai-pointed  manager;  other  ofticers  came  for\\;n\l 
as  "star"  performers.  The  jjlays  were  both  orig- 
inal and  selected,  Parry  writing  some  of  them 
himself.  'I'he  prei)arations,  of  course,  e.xcited  the 
curiosity  of  tlie  sailors,  and  gave  them  ];leasant 
anticipations;  and  when  the  first  i)erformance, 
that  of  "  Mi.'js  in  her  Teens,"  came  off,  they  were 
convuised  with  laughter,  and  were  sui)i)lied  with  a 
topic  of  talk  for  their  idle  hours. 

Another  means  of  diversion  was  the  publishing 
of  a  weekly  newspaper.  Parry  had  given  the 
name  of  North  Georgian  to  certain  islands  of  the 
vicinity,  so  the  paper  was  called,  "  The  North 
Georgian  Gazette  and  Winter  Chronicle."  All 
were  invited  to  contribute,  Captain  Sabine  taking 
charge  as  editor.  Doubtless  its  pages  were  very 
spicy,  and  its  weekly  appearance  looked  for  with 
interest ;  but  the  lack  of  a  column  of  "  home 
news"  was  sadly  missed. 

When  Christm.is  came  it   was  enlivened  by  a 


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23  WEST  ViAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.V    14580 

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94 


Arctic  Heroes. 


]A 


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4 


dramatic  performance  of  "  The  North-west  Pas- 
sage," written  by  Parry.  All  had  as  good  a  dinner 
as  the  circumstances  allowed.  The  officers'  table 
was  sii])plied  with  a  piece  of  English  roast  beef, 
preserved  since  May  without  salt,  simply  by 
freezing. 

The  sun  reappeared  above  the  horizon  the  yth 
of  February.  On  the  lyth  of  March  daylight 
had  so  far  ventured  as  to  invite  all  to  outside 
work,  so  the  dramatic  jjerformance  closed  with 
a  spirited  and  appropriate  address. 

Parry  now  improved  the  time  in  making  explo- 
rations. They  found  on  the  western  side  "  one  of 
the  most  habitable  and  pleasantest  spots  yet  seen 
in  the  arctic  regions,  the  vegetation  being  more 
abundant  than  in  any  other  place,  and  the  situa- 
tion favorable  for  game." 

The  ships  were  not  released  from  their  icy  fet- 
ters until  the  ist  of  August.  Before  they  left,  a 
L.^ge  block  of  sandstone  was  selected  on  which 
they  engraved  a  record  of  their  stay. 

When  relieved  from  their  ten  months'  imprison- 
ment the  explorers  made  perilous  efforts  to  sail 
farther  west.  But  on  the  26th  of  August,  after  ^ 
consultation  of  the  officers  of  both  ships,  a  voyage 
home  by  the  old  way  was  declared  to  be  the  only 
sensible  course  to  be  pursued. 

They  arrived  in  England  in  two  months,  and 
were  received  joyfully  ;  and  well  they  might  be,  for 
Parry  had  greatly  enlarged  the  knowledge  of  the 
polar  regions,  and  made  a  long  stride  toward  the 
western  opening  of  the  north-west  passage.     He 


and 
for 
the 
the 
He 


Intportafit  Success. 


95 


had,  too,  brought  l^ack  every  man  with  whom  he 
sailed,  excepting  one  seaman,  who  died  at  Melville 
Island  of  an  old  disease. 

Parry  was  immediately  promoted  to  the  rank  of 
commander,  and  honors  were  showered  upon  him 
from  every  quarter.  But  as  for  himself,  his  first 
act  on  landing  was  to  march,  at  the  head  of  his 
officers  and  men,  to  church,  to  render  public 
thanksgiving  to  God  for  their  preservation,  and  to 
acknowledge  his  hand  in  their  success. 


.■:U 


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96 


Arctic  Heroes. 


'L  : 


CHAPTER  XL 


ARCTIC     SEA-MONSTERS. 


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OUR  narrative  of  arctic  discovery  thus  far 
has  shown  that  the  vast  extent  of  waters 
included  in  Davis  Strait  and  T3affin  Bay  had 
become  considerably  well-known  to  the  civilized 
world.  But  the  reader  may  be  disposed  to  in- 
quire, What  profit  to  mankind  have  been  these 
perilous  adventures?  We  shall  not  be  surprised 
if  this  question  is  frequently  asked  as  we  pro- 
ceed. Since  the  question  is  a  natural  and  proper 
one,  we  will  pause  occasionally  to  answer  it  as  far 
as  we  are  able. 

The  Greenland  whale-fishery  followed  in  the 
wake  of  these  discoveries,  and  has,  down  to  a  late 
period,  been  a  source  of  wealth  both  to  the  new 
and  old  world.  It  is  so  arctic  in  its  character  that 
v)ur  knowledge  of  this  icy  region  would  be  imper- 
fect without  a  sketch  of  this  perilous  business. 
Fortunately  we  have  the  material  for  such  a  sketch 
furnished  by  William  Scoresby,  brought  before 
the  reader  on  a  previous  page,  a  captain  of  a 
whale-ship,  an  intelligent  man,  a  bold  explorer  of 
the  early  part  of  this  century,  and  a  true  Chris- 
tian. 

The  old  Northmen  did  a  little  at  catching  the 
mon  *ers  of  the  deep  in  the  waters  north-east  of 


^ 


Arctic  Sea- Monsters. 


97 


Greenland.  In  the  history  of  Ohther's  voyages,  in 
the  tenth  century,  tliere  is  sometliing  said  about 
the  Norwegian  whalemen,  They  carried  on  this 
grer.t  business  on  a  small  scale,  no  doubt,  and  with 
little  capital.  Later  accounts  speak  of  whales  on 
the  shores  of  France  and  Spain,  troubling  the 
nets  of  the  fishermen.  As  the  whales  scorned  the 
nets,  which,  indeed,  were  not  -et  for  them,  the 
fishermen  shot  their  arrows  into  tneir  huge  bodies. 
These,  very  likely,  weie  at  first  scorned,  too;  but 
men  are  always  great  on  expedients  to  conquer 
inferior  animals,  so  that  his  majesty  of  the  sea 
became,  in  time,  subjected  to  the  lord  of  creation. 
Whales,  like  ships,  have  in  every  age  been  occa- 
sionally wrecked.  This  comes  not  from  being 
blown  ashore,  nor,  we  presume,  from  being  carried 
ashore  by  strong  currents,  but  by  pursuing  their 
prey  too  eagerly  toward  the  beaches,  and  so  getting 
aground.  It  may  be  that  they  get  up  exj)loring 
expeditions,  and  are  too  eager  to  see  the  men  and 
things  on  land,  just  as  men  are  often  wrecked  by 
beir'i;  too  eager  to  see  the  whales  and  other  sights 
on  the  sea.  Be  that  as  it  may,  so  common  was  it 
in  1315  for  whales  to  get  stranded  on  the  British 
Islands  that  the  king,  Edward  II.,  declared  by  law 
that  "all  wrecked  whales  shall  belong  to  the 
crown,"  and  a  hundred  years  later  Henry  IV. 
gave  to  the  Bishop  of  Rochester  all  the  stranded 
whales  on  the  coast  of  his  bishopric.  What  this 
"picking"  amounted  to  we  are  not  informed,  but 
it  must  have  been  regarded  by  the  bishop  as  rather 
a  fishy  way  of  supporting  his  dignity. 


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98 


Arctic  Heroes. 


:  8  ,t 


The  ships  of  the  Russian  Company  were  the 
first  "to  strike  oil"  in  tlie  west  (irecnland  seas. 
This  was  in  161 1,  and  the  next  year  all  maritime 
Eurojje  was  attacked  by  the  oil  fever,  and  fleets 
spread  all  sail  fur  these  waters.  The  whales  here 
caught  were  not  as  large  as  those  they  had  been 
catching,  as  they  seldom  exceeded  sixty-five  feet 
long,  whereas  those  mostly  caught  near  Spitz- 
bergen  were  not  seldom  a  hundred  feet.  But 
these  are  a  different  species,  having  no  fins  along 
their  backs — "  smooth  ba^-ks,"  as  the  sailors  call 
them — and  they  contain  a  wonderfully  large  fount- 
ain of  oil.  Their  head  is  immense;  and  the  lip, 
which  is  from  fifteen  to  twenty  feet  in  breadth, 
and  five  to  six  in  height,  is  attached  to  the  under- 
jaw,  and  forms  the  cavity  of  the  mouth.  This, 
when  open,  must  therefore  expose  a  very  roomy 
place — a  comfortable  sitting-room,  at  least,  for  a 
small  family.  Scoresby  thinks  that  such  a  mouth 
M'ould  contain  a  ship's  "jolly-boat,"  "men  and 
all."  Parts  of  such  boats,  with  now  and  then  a 
man,  have  certainly  been  taken  into  such  mouths 
in  the  deadly  conflicts  between  these  whales  and 
the  whalers.  In  these  cases  the  /hui^  may  be 
"jolly,"  but  the  //le/i  are  in  another  state  of  mind 
altogether. 

The  fins,  placed  about  a  third  of  the  length  of 
the  body  from  the  snout,  are  from  seven  to  nine 
feet  long,  and  four  or  five  feet  broad.  Immense 
paddles  are  these,  when  worked  by  an  engine  sixty 
feet  long  !  The  tail  of  the  whale  is  an  article  he 
much  esteems,  and,  if  consulted  whether  to  part 


I 
■:v 


il!|1^ 
"i;» 


::!■»! 


Arctic  Sea- Monsters. 


99 


with  his  head  or  tail,  would,  we  are  sure,  unhesitat- 
ingly say,  "Neither!"  It  contains  a  hundred 
scjuare  feet,  supjjosing  it  to  belong  to  one  (jf 
average  size,  and  it  is  with  this,  in  part,  that  he 
tries  to  escape  from  his  enemies,  the  whalemen  ; 
not  succeeding  in  this,  or  if  taken  unawares,  he 
frightens  them  off  by  a  commotion  with  it  which 
makes  the  sea  boil;  or  he  may  gi\e  it  a  flourish 
and  send  boat  and  men  high  in  the  air,  or  to  take 
their  last  plunge  in  the  great  deep. 

His  eyes,  placed  in  the  side  of  his  head,  are 
small — only  about  the  size  of  those  of  the  ox.  He 
has  no  ears,  and  no  place  can  be  discovered  for 
the  admission  of  sound  until  the  skin  is  removed. 
So  he  is  slow  to  hear,  cjuick  to  see,  and  great  at 
blowing.  The  way  the  latter  is  done  is  this  :  he  has 
on  the  top  of  his  head  two  nostrils,  that  is,  holes, 
narrow,  but  six  or  eight  inches  long.  Through 
these  the  whale  breathes,  throwing  high  into  the 
air,  when  he  does  so,  a  vapor  mixed  with  mucous, 
making  at  the  same  time  a  loud  noise. 

This  Greenland  whale  has  a  mouthful  of  whale- 
bone, which  answers  his  purpose  instead  of  teeth. 
It  is  the  same  article  that  we  have  for  umbrella- 
frames  and  other  uses;  but  in  the  mouth  of  the 
original  owner  it  is  in  wide,  long  sheets  with  a  hair- 
like fringe.  These  sheets  or  plates  are  suspended 
from  each  side  of  the  upper  jaw.  A  large  whale 
carries  in  this  way  a  ton  and  a  half  of  tliis  article. 

When  feeding  on  the  minute  animals  which 
crowd  the  olive-colored  waters,  the  Greenland 
whale  swims  swiftly  just  under  the  surface,  with  his 


i 


W\ 


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1, «' 


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a 


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I 


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100 


Arctic  Heroes. 


capacious  mouth  open.  The  water  which  thus 
pours  into  it  goes  out  at  its  sides,  passing  through 
the  hair-like  strainer,  leaving  the  food  behind. 

The  female  whale  gives  birtli  in  the  spring  to 
one  offspring,  to  which  she  gives  nourishment  at 
her  breast.  Her  new-born  child  is  a  nice  large 
baby,  often  fourteen  feet  long.  It  stays  by  its 
mother  a  year  or  mere,  and  there  is  the  strongest 
affection  between  them.  Scoresby  relates  the  fol- 
lowing incident  illustrative  of  this: — 

"The  men  of  a  whale-ship's  boat  launched  a 
harpoon  into  a  baby  whale,  or  '  sucker,'  which  was 
unwatchfully  sporting  in  the  deep  with  its  mother. 
It  was  easily  drawn  to  the  stern  of  the  boat  by  the 
line  attached  to  the  cruel  harpoon  which  had 
entered  the  vitals  of  its  victim.  The  mother,  for 
the  moment,  had  not  missed  her  child.  When  she 
saw  w^hat  had  been  done  while  she  was  off  her 
guard,  she  came  at  the  i)oat  with  a  fury  that  made 
even  the  brave  old  whalemen  tremble.  Bending 
with  all  their  might  to  their  oars  they  rowed  away 
from  their  maddened  enemy,  at  the  same  time 
letting  the  line  out  to  which  was  attached  the 
young  w^hale,  which,  of  course,  dropped  far  astern. 
The  mother,  though  mad  enough  to  swallow  the 
boat,  men  and  all,  stopped,  picked  up  her  wounded 
child,  and  started  off  in  an  opposite  direction.  Six 
hundred  feet  of  line  w^ere  run  out,  making  a  heavy 
burden  for  her,  in  addition  to  the  object  of  her 
care.  When  the  end  of  the  line  was  reached  the 
men  still  retained  its  attachment  to  the  boat,  thus 
giving  the  whale  the  boat  to  carry  as  well  as  the 


Arctic  Sca~Monstcrs. 


lOI 


line  and  the  *  sucker.*  Still  she  clung  to  it,  darting 
this  way  and  that  to  disengage  it  from  tlie  line. 
AVhile  her  maternal  affection  was  thus  exhausting 
her,  the  boat  stole  up,  harpoons  were  i)lunged  into 
her,  and  mother  and  young  became  the  prey  of  the 
fishermen." 

The  arctic  whale,  though  it  can  fight  for  its 
young,  and  is  dangerous  when  closely  pressed,  is 
very  timid  and  unconscious  of  its  strength.  If  it 
were  not  so  the  whalemen  would  fare  badly. 
When  struck  by  the  harpoon,  slyly  thrown  into 
him,  he  rounds  up  his  back,  turns  his  head  down- 
ward, throws  up  his  enormous  tail,  and  dives 
down — down  he  goes  at  the  rate  of  ten  or  twelve 
miles  an  hour,  and  stops  not  until  he  reaches  oottom. 
The  line  attached  to  the  harpoon  he  carries  with 
him  smokes  as  it  runs  over  the  side  of  the  boat, 
and  woe  be  to  the  man  around  whose  legs  it  may 
accidentally  be  coiled;  he  is  jerked  overboard 
and  carried  down,  or  his  limb  torn  from  his  body. 
The  boat  even,  if  the  line  "  fouls,"  that  is,  fastens 
to  any  part  of  it,  is  carried  under,  like  the  cork  on 
a  boy's  fishing-line  when  a  big  fish  gets  hold  of 
the  bait. 

When  the  whale  has  been  down  from  twenty  to 
thirty  minutes,  up  his  huge  form  rises  to  the  sur- 
face, disturbing  the  sea  and  rolling  great  waves 
over  its  surface.  The  watchful  boats  cautiously 
approach,  and  the  monster  receives  sharp  thrusts 
from  steel-pointed  lances,  or  from  more  deadly 
harpoons.     The  signal  is  given,  and  fresh  crews  and 

other  boats  hasten  to  the  scene  of  conflict.     The 

7 


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111 


« * 


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r; 


{ 


'}' 


102 


Arctic  Heroes. 


sea,  and  sometimes  the  men,  are  stained  with 
blood.  If  there  is  an  ice-floe  near,  the  whale  im- 
mediately rushes  for  it  and  dives  beneath  the  sur- 
face. If  the  whalemen's  line  of  a  mile  or  two 
long  runs  out  before  the  whale  is  out  of  breath, 
his  tormentors  are  glad  to  "cut  away  "  and  lose 
line,  whale,  and  all,  rather  than  risk  i)eing  drawn 
iintler  the  ice.  If  no  such  refuire  is  at  hand  the 
frightened,  bleeding,  exhausted  monster  continues 
to  dive  and  rise  to  the  surface,  the  whalemen  all 
the  while  greeting  his  reappearance  with  a  thrust  of 
their  weai)ons,  now  wounding,  and  i\u  n,  with  the 
shout  of  "  Stern,  all !  "  darting  as  swiftly  away.  It 
is  brute  strength  against  intelligent  skill,  and  the 
contest  is  unequal.  That  tail  does  occasionally 
strike  avenging  blows  which  clothes  a  whole  ship's 
com])any  '.  ourning,  and  puts  its  (lag  at  half 
mast  wher  returns  home  ;   but  the  sea-monster 

is  loser  in  the  contlict. 

The  following  incidents  will  show  the  whale's 
side  of  the  contest.  A  small  whale  was  harpooned 
by  a  ship's  boat.  Other  boats  at  the  moment 
pushed  off  from  the  ship  to  share  the  danger  and 
triumph  of  the  fray.  But  the  whale  proved  to  be 
both  wide  awake  and  plucky.  After  his  first  dive 
he  started  off  on  tlw  run.  The  relief  boat  came 
up,  for,  with  a  boat  in  tow,  an  iron  in  his  side,  and 
the  exhaustion  of  a  long,  breathless  dive,  he  made 
only  slow  time.  The  harpoons  of  four  boats  were 
lodged  in  him,  but  still  he  pushed  ahead.  One 
boat,  thinking  to  end  the  chase,  ventured  too  near, 
and  was  instantly  sunk.     Finally,  he  took  in  tow 


A  re  tic  Sea  -  ^  I  ousters. 


103 


six  miles  of  line  and  three  boats,  but  he  was  not 
captured  until  he  had  drawn  his  captors  nine  miles 
from  the  sliip. 

At  another  time  a  boat  made  fast  to  a  whale.  I'>y 
hard  rowing  two  others  attached  themselves,  and 
all  pricked  him  with  their  shari)  lances,  and  lacer- 
ated him  with  their  harpoons  at  every  opportunity. 
To  get  rid  of  these  annoyances  he  struck  off  from 
east  to  south  under  water.  I  laving  obtained  a  mile 
of  line  he  swung  round  in  a  circuit,  working  off  at 
the  same  time  from  the  ship.  This  serious  sport 
went  on  for  seven  hours,  and  then  a  storm  arose. 
But  both  sides  refused  to  yield  the  contest.  To 
impede  the  progress  of  the  whale,  and  to  keep 
together,  the  boats  were  lashed  one  to  the  other, 
and  put  broadside  lo.  Still  the  smitten  monster 
tugged  away  at  the  line,  now  weighing  of  itself  half 
a  ton,  for  another  seven  hours.  The  night  being  at 
hand  and  the  storm  increasing,  the  boats  began  to 
think  of  retreating.  But  to  cover  their  retreat 
they  attached  the  end  of  the  line  to  a  large  cask, 
and  moored  one  of  the  boats  to  the  cask,  raised 
upon  it  the  ship's  flag,  and  abandoned  the  whole. 
They  lay  by  as  near  as  possible  during  the  night, 
and  in  the  morning  looked  upon  a  deserted  field. 
All  was  gone,  and  they  returned  ingloriously  to 
the  ship. 

While  some  whales  thus  sho\ved  fight,  the  greater 
number  yielded  their  coveted  treasures  of  oil,  and 
the  arctic  whalemen,  while  often  adding  quite  as 
much  as  the  mere  explorers  to  the  world's  knowl- 
edge of  the  northern  seas,  enriched  their  ownc:  ;. 


^. 


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14; 


i!^ 


H 


<     . 


pi 
t 


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s 


i 


104 


Arctic  IIkroes. 


One  ship's  car^o  of  whalebone  and  oil  sometimes 
sold  for  a  hundred  thousand  dollars. 

But  these  gains,  like  the  knowledge  of  the  ex- 
])lorers,  were  obtained  at  the  expense  of  much  suf- 
fering from  the  cold,  great  risks  from  blinding 
fogs,  from  icebergs,  ice-lloes,  currents,  and  storms, 
as  well  as  of  much  jjcril  from  the  whales  them- 
selves. The  early  whalers  which  followed  in  the 
wake  of  discovery  ships  seldom  returned  with  ail 
the  men  with  whom  they  left  home.  Flags  at  half- 
mast,  on  returning  to  the  home  harljor,  solemnly 
attested  the  dangers  of  hunting  the  arctic  sea- 
monsters. 


Ill 


111 

iiii  ■: 


a 


1! 


Vomn  the  Coppaminc. 


105 


CHAPTER  XII. 

DOWN     T  HE     C  O  r  r  !•:  R  M  I  N  E  . 

IN  our  story  of  lUichan's  expedition  to  the 
Spitzber^^en  waters  ue  introduced,  as  second 
in  command,  John  Franklin.  Since  he  is  now  to 
appear  chief  actor  in  scenes  of  darin*.;  and  peril,  and 
is  to  be  long  before  us  in  our  narratives  of  the  ad- 
ventures of  others,  we  give  a  few  facts  of  his  pre- 
vious history.  He  was  trained  from  boyhood  for 
a  life  on  the  .^ca.  He  first  appears  in  history  as 
a  midsi.ipman  on  the  Australian  coast  survev. 
While  thus  engaged  he  was  shi[)wrecked  in  the 
"  Porpoise."  As  midshipman  and  master's  mate 
he  was  in  the  fleet  with  the  naval  hero,  Nelson, 
and  at  the  battle  of  ("openhagen.  He  was  lieu- 
tenant at  the  bloody  battle  of  I'rafalgar,  in  1805. 
He  belonged  to  the  ship  "  Bedford  "  in  the  attack 
on  New  Orleans  in  1815,  and  there,  commanding 
in  the  boats,  he  was  wounded.  His  conduct  on 
the  occasion  received  "  honorable  notice  "  in  the 
report  of  his  superior  officer.  He  obtained,  in  his 
naval  experience,  the  reputation  of  a  thorough 
seaman,  a  skillful  surveyor,  an  ajjt  handler  of 
nautical  instruments,  and  a  high-minded,  honor- 
able man. 

The  spring  after  his  return  with  the  Buchan  ex- 
pedition he  was  given  the  independent  command 


|i!||| 

Si 

s  i 

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■ 

ir 
If' 

till 

, 

!l 

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til  ■ 


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W'ii 


1 06 


Akc'Iic  Heroes. 


of  a  new  one,  at  tlie  same  time  that  his  friend 
Parry  was  so  honored.  Ihii  it  was  one  somewhat 
out  of  the  line  of  his  previous  ex])erience.  He 
was  instructed  to  proceed  through  Hudson  Bay 
to  one  of  its  designated  depots  on  its  coast,  tlien 
to  go  by  land  to  the  source  of  the  Coppermine 
River,  follow  it  down  to  the  Arctic  Sea,  and  push 
his  way  in  boats  along  the  coast  eastward.  It  was 
hoped  that  Parry  and  Franklin  would  thus  meet 
and  prove  a  north-west  passage. 

P^anklin  left  England  on  this  hazardous  under- 
taking in  May,  1819.  His  companions  were  John 
Richardson,  naval  surgeon,  George  Back  and 
Robert  Hood,  midshi])men,  and  John  Hepburn, 
servant.  Dr.  Richardson  was  an  enthusiastic  and 
competent  naturalist.  •  The  midshipmen  were  apt 
sketchers  of  natural  objects,  and  skillful  in  maj.)- 
ping  out  the  surveys.  The  servant  proved  himself 
a  worthy  helper  in  the  enterprise,  and  not  inferior 
to  any  member  of  the  expedition  in  times  of  great 
exigency. 

They  arrived  at  the  York  Factory,  on  the  south- 
western shore  of  Hudson  Bay,  August  30,  after 
full  an  average  amount  of  arctic  peril  from  the  ice, 
currents,  and  storms  of  the  bay.  Here  they  were 
provided  with  a  boat  for  river  voyaging,  provis- 
ions, ammunition,  and  such  necessary  things  de- 
manded by  the  enterprise.  On  the  9th  of  Septem- 
ber they  set  out,  and,  after  ascending  numerous 
rivers,  crossing  lakes  and  swamps,  making  port- 
ages around  falls,  and  weary  climbing  over  hills, 
they  arrived  at  Cumberland  House,  on  Pine  Lake, 


Dow 71  the  CoppcnnifU'. 


107 


the  latter  part  of  October.  They  had  traveled 
full  seven  hundred  miles.  The  midshipmen  had 
taken  sketches.  Dr.  Ricliardson  had  secured 
valuable  contributions  to  science,  and  their  com- 
bined efforts  had  resulted  in  a  survey  of  the  route. 
Here  they  paused  until  January.  They  were  now 
on  a  chain  of  lakes,  including  the  Slave  Lakes, 
which  bore  north-west,  and  then  nearly  due  north, 
until,  with  contiguous  rivers,  they  communicated 
with  tiie  source  of  the  Cop])erniine.  In  January 
the  party  divided,  and  Franklin,  Back,  and  Hep- 
burn pushed  north-west  to  Fort  Chipeway,  on 
Lake  Athabaska,  Dr.  Richardson  and  Midshipman 
Hood  remaining  at  the  Cumberland  House  until 
spring.  Franklin  arrived  at  his  point  of  destina- 
tion the  26th  of  March,  having  made  a  journey  of 
eight  hundred  and  fifty-seven  miles.  The  party 
complained  bitterly  of  the  difliculty  of  snow-shoe 
traveling.  A  clumsy  machine  of  two  or  three 
pounds  weight,  attached  to  swollen  ankles  and 
galling,  bleeding  feet,  kept  them  often  in  an  agony 
of  pain. 

When  the  April  rains  thawed  the  ice,  innumer- 
able frogs  commenced  an  incessant  din.  So  in- 
stantaneous was  their  croak,  with  the  loosenin""  '^f 
the  ice,  that  Mr,  Hood  declared  that  they  must 
have  come  forth  full  grown,  and  just  as  tlie  fall 
freezing  arrested  -hem,  Franklin  speaks  of  some 
experiments  Dr.  Richardson  made  of  the  effect  of 
cold  on  fishes.  Several  were  taken  in  a  lively 
condition  from  the  water  and  frozen  in  a  low 
temperature    for    thirty-six    hours.     In    this  state. 


* 


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ill 


!l      If 


t 


if 


Si      Hi 


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Arctic  Heroes. 


11 

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III 

'    1  • 


I  1 


they  could  be  broken  by  a  blow  from  the  hatchet, 
and  their  intestines  taken  out  solid.  When  ex- 
posed to  warmth  and  gradually  thawed,  they  were 
wide  awake  again  and  ready  for  a  swim. 

In  July  Dr.  Richardson  and  Hood  having  joined 
the  party,  Franklin  began  to  think  of  pushing 
forward.  Sixteen  Canadian  half-breeds — French 
and  Indian — were  engaged  to  accompany  them,  to 
whose  party  a  Chipeway  woman  was  soon  added. 
With  these  the  expedition  left  the  fort  the  latter 
part  of  July,  1820,  in  three  boats,  the  crews  join- 
ing as  they  paddled  off  in  a  lively  boat  song.  At 
one  of  their  early  stoi)ping-place;  they  secured 
two  interpreters,  and  the  valuable  services  of  a 
Mr.  Wentzel,  an  agent  of  the  fur  company,  who 
was  to  manage  the  Canr;  bans  of  the  expedition — 
no  light  task — and  the  Indians  whom  they  might 
meet,  he  being  experienced  in  both  branches  of 
service. 

An  Indian  chief  by  the  name  of  Akaitcho,  and 
several  of  his  men,  joined  them  soon,  and  were  use- 
ful as  hunters.  All  went  well  for  awhile,  the  dis- 
coverers making  good  progress  northward.  Deer 
were  plenty,  and  the  hunters  were  successful  in 
getting  a  supply  from  their  herds,  and  securing 
other  game.  But  as  they  went  north  the  deer  dis- 
appeared, and  their  provisions  were  not  abundant. 
The  Canadians  became  discontented  on  short 
rations,  and  threatened  rebellion.  This  feelmg 
Franklin  at  once  checked  by  stringent  discipline. 
But  the  whole  party  were  soon  brought  to  a  stand. 
They  built  huts,  and    went  into  winter-quarters, 


Doiv7i  the  Coppermine. 


109 


calling  the  place  Fort  Enterprise.  They  had 
traveled  five  hundred  and  fifty  miles  since  leaving 
Fort  Chipeway,  making  over  fifteen  hundred 
miles  since  the  commencement  of  the  year,  and 
twenty-two  hundred  since  leaving  York  Factory. 

When  established  in  his  winter-quarters,  Frank- 
lin planned  a  journey  to  the  head-waters  of  the 
Coppermine.  He  declared  his  desire  of  assuming 
all  the  risk  of  an  immediate  descent  to  the  sea, 
even,  and  inquired  of  the  chief  Akaitcho  w-hat  he 
thought  of  it.  '■  Well,"  he  replied,  after  using 
all  the  argument  occurring  to  him,  "  I  have  said 
every  thing  I  can  urge  to  dissuade  you  from  going 
on  this  service,  on  which  it  seems  you  wish  to 
sacrifice  your  lives  as  well  as  the  Indians  who 
might  attend  you ;  however,  if  after  all  I  have 
said  you  are  determined  to  go,  some  of  my  young 
men  shall  join  the  party,  because  it  shall  not  be 
said  that  we  permitted  you  to  die  alone,  after  hav- 
ing brought  you  hither;  but  from  the  moment 
they  embark  in  the  canoes,  I  and  their  relatives 
shall  mourn  them  as  dead." 

Thus,  no  doubt,  wisely  counseled,  Franklin  gave 
up  the  idea  of  reaching  the  sea,  but  he  sent  off 
Hood  and  Back,  with  a  few  Canadians,  in  a  canoe, 
to  ascertain  the  distance  to  the  Coppermine  River, 
while  he  and  Dr.  Richardson  started  afoot  for  the 
same  purpose.  After  much  suffering  from  great 
exposures  and  insufficient  food,  both  parties  were 
glad  to  get  back  to  Fort  Enterprise. 

It  was  soon  apparent  that  Franklin's  large  party 
could  not  live  on  the  resources  of  the  vicinity, 


'A 


liJ 


111 


n 


« 


«     I; 
»    - 


*  a. 


i 


^«,f  I' 


it'f  '': 


,::?  i  ■;'; 


.  ■■k< 
'ii!! 

;l 

,  ill' 
Ill . 


110 


Arctic  Heroes. 


and  have  provisions  enough  for  the  voyage  to  the 
sea.  In  this  emergency  Back  volunteered  to 
return  to  Fort  Chipeway  and  hurry  along  sup- 
plies, which  were  to  come  from  the  Cumberland 
House.  This  most  daring  ])roposition  was  ac- 
cepted, and  Mr.  Wentzel,  two  Canadians,  and  two 
Indians,  with  their  Avives,  agreed  to  go  with  him. 
This  party  set  out  October  i8.  Wentzel,  on 
reaching  Fort  Providence,  returned,  taking  two 
Esquimo  guides  with  him.  Back  and  the  Cana- 
dians and  Indians  suffered  greatly  as  they  pushed 
forward.  Being  nearly  starved,  one  of  the  women 
cut  a  hole  in  the  ice  and  caught  a  fine  pike,  and 
gave  it  all  to  the  white  men,  not  one  of  the  In- 
dians being  willing  to  eat  a  morsel  of  it.  On 
being  asked  why,  they  replied  :  "  There  ^vill  not 
be  enough  for  us  all,  and  we  are  accustomed  to 
starvation,  but  you  are  not." 

At  one  time  while  crossing  on  the  ice  a  narrow 
arm  of  Slave  Lake  he  fell  through.  Though  the 
cold  was  intense,  he  escaped  unhurt.  On  another 
occasion  while  crossing  a  sheet  of  ice  over  deep 
water  it  began  to  give  way ;  he  increased  his 
speed,  the  ice  bending  beneath  his  feet,  and  he 
had  a  long  race  for  life,  not  daring  to  stop  until 
he  reached  the  shore.  The  party  had  no  better 
lodging- place  than  a  camp  in  the  woods,  and 
Back  had  for  a  covering  orly  a  blanket  and  deer 
skin,  while  the  thermometer  was  often  forty  de- 
grees below  zero,  and  once  fifty-seven  below. 
Sometimes  they  were  two  or  three  days  without 
any  food,  and  not  unfrequently  on  short  allow- 


ii' 


Down  the  Coppermine. 


Ill 


ance.  We  shall  not  wonder,  then,  at  the  followin'^ 
statement :  "  One  of  our  men  caught  a  fish  one 
day,  which  with  some  moss  scrai)ed  from  a  rock 
made  us  a  tolerable  supper.  While  we  were  eat- 
ing it  I  perceived  one  of  the  women  busily  scrap- 
ing an  old  skin,  with  the  contents  of  which  her 
husband  presented  us.  This  consisted  of  pounded 
meat  and  fat,  but  a  greater  proportion  of  Indian 
and  deer  hair  than  either.  It  was  eaten  by  us, 
after  three  days'  privation,  as  a  great  luxury." 

It  was  under  such  circumstances  that  Back 
made  the  whole  journey  to  Fort  Chipeway  and 
back  on  foot,  much  of  the  time  on  snow-shoes, 
traveling  in  all  eleven  hundred  and  four  miles. 
He  was  absent  five  months,  but  returned  safely, 
probably  saving  the  expedition  by  bringing  in 
timely  supplies.  No  more  heroic  act  is  on  record, 
nor  one  exhibiting  greater  power  of  physical  en- 
durance. Even  the  Indian  women  must  have 
conceded  that  this  white  man  could  stance  and 
walk  with  the  best  of  the  Indians.  During  the 
five  months  of  Back's  absence,  the  party  at  Fort 
Enterprise  had  no  small  fight  with  cold  and  hun- 
ger. Fish  were  caught  until  the  fifth  of  Novem- 
ber, and  afforded  a  timely  supply  of  food.  After 
that  the^'  were  sometimes  short  of  necessary  sus- 
tenance. The  cold  in  the  mean  time  froze  the 
trees  to  their  v'ery  centers.  So  hard  were  they 
that  in  attempting  to  cut  them  they  spoiled  their 
axes,  so  that  by  tlie  end  of  December  only  one 
was  fit  to  use.  This  embarrassed  them  in  getting 
fuel  for  iheir  fires. 


!<  I 


^1 


1  12 


Arctic  Heroes. 


< 


* 


I 


The  chief  of  his  men  were  off  much  of  the 
time  on  hunting  excursions,  while  the  people  in 
the  fort  were  anxiously  waiting  the  result. 

It  is  ])leasant  to  state  that,  under  these  circum- 
stances, the  Sabbath  was  strictly  kept  as  God's 
day,  Divine  service  was  regularly  performed;  the 
wood  of  the  day  was  laid  in  on  .Saturday,  and  all 
secular  labor,  not  a  necessity,  was  omitted.  The 
Canadians  attended,  though  Roman  Catholics; 
not  understanding  English  perfectly,  the  Lord's 
Prayer  and  the  Apostles'  Creed  were  read  to  them 
in  French. 

Each  day  they  had  two  cups  of  tea  without 
sugar,  and  on  Sunday  they  broke  the  monotony  by 
taking  one  cup  of  chocolate  instead. 

Akaitcho  had  little  success  in  hunting,  and  the 
number  of  his  followers  who  hung  about  the  fort 
expecting  to  be  fed  had  increased  to  forty;  he 
was  at  last  persuaded  to  take  them  and  leave. 
He  insisted,  however,  on  leaving  behind,  to  be  sup- 
ported by  the  discoverers,  several  women,  among 
whom  was  his  wife  and  daughter.  The  daughter, 
Green  Stocking,  was  esteemed  very  beautiful,  and 
had  been  twice  married,  though  only  sixteen  years 
old.  I-Ier  mother  now  wished  her  to  remain  with 
her,  and  so  she  was  quite  annoyed  when  Mr.  Hood 
took  her  portrait,  for  she  said  : — 

"  The  Great  Chief  of  the  pale  faces  may  send 
and  take  her  to  be  his  wife." 

Various  expedient's  were  devised  to  occupy  the 
minds  of  the  party  in  the  long  ten  months'  im- 
prisonment.    The  officers  were,  of  course,  much 


Down  the  Coppermine. 


1^3 


employed  with  their  journals  and  scientific  observ- 
ations. In  the  evening  all  joined  in  athletic  and 
other  games  in  a  large  hall.  Hepburn  became 
proficient  in  making  soap  and  candles.  The  Ca- 
nadians had  a  whim  that  it  was  a  mysterious  oper- 
ation, and  that  its  success  was  hindered  if  a  woman 
approached  the  kettle.  So  Hepburn  was  rid  of 
female  intermeddlcrs  at  least,  thouirh   the  women 

'  CD 

got  the  best  of  it  by  being  spared  the  heavy  labor. 

The  new  year,  1821,  came  in  rather  gloomily. 
The  English  tried  to  be  merry,  but  the  heart  will 
be  heavy  on  one  scanty  meal  a  day.  In  this  state 
of  things  an  ice-covered  Canadian,  sent  ahead  to 
herald  Back's  coming,  cheered  them  with  packages 
of  letters  from  England  and  the  news  of  approach- 
ing provisions.  With  spring  the  deer  returned, 
and  the  hunt  was  rewarded  with  game. 

They  now  made  preparations  for  the  journey  to 
the  Coppermine  and  the  voyage  on  its  waters  to 
the  sea.  Their  Indian  chief  promised  to  stock 
Tort  Enterprise  with  provisions  by  the  first  of 
September  for  their  use  should  they  return  that 
way. 

On  the  4th  of  June  a  party,  under  Dr.  Richard- 
son, started  ahead,  and  Frankh.i  followed  soon 
after.  The  journey  of  nearly  a  month  to  the  Cop- 
permine was  made  one  of  great  fatigue  by  heavy 
portages  and  scanty  daily  food.  They  all,  how- 
ever, safely  embarked  on  the  river. 

For  awhile  their  Indian  chief  and  his  followers 
accompanied  them,  making  themselves  useful  by 
hunting  excursions  along  the  shore.     Dr.  Richard- 


tr   \ 


"  I 


Tr 


114 


Arctic  Heroes. 


Ill 


•a 


:  ( 


.4 


1  III 


■!1        t-.ii 


1    "  ' 

ii    ■'1/- 

1 1; 

1      ,;      j 

II 

li'-l  i 


son  keenly  observed  the  shore  as  they  passed  for 
ol)je('.ts  of  scientific  interest.  He  was  surprised  at 
the  few  fur-benring  animals  in  all  their  travels. 
The  Indians  had  made  so  reckless  a  slaughter  of 
them  that  they  were  nearly  exterminated,  so  that 
but  few  beavers  even  were  seen.  He  records  in 
connection  with  this  statement  the  following  inci- 
dent :  One  day  an  Englishman  was  out  hunting 
this  interesting  creature.  Soon  he  caught  siglu 
of  five  young  beavers  at  play  on  a  floating  log. 
They  were  having  an  exciting  frolic,  in  leaping 
upon  the  log,  then  pushing  each  other  off,  and 
scampering  over  their  little  play-ground.  The 
sportsman  crept  softly  up,  sheltered  by  the  bushes. 
As  he  raised  his  gun  to  fire,  their  innocent  expres- 
sion of  face,  and  child-like  affection  and  confi- 
dence, 50  reminded  him  of  the  children  he  had  left 
at  home,  that  he  dropped  at  once  his  gun  and  a 
tear,  and  left  them  unharmed. 

As  the  expedition  approached  the  sea  they 
came  into  the  country  of  the  Esquimo,  the  dead- 
ly enemies  of  the  Indians.  Franklin  suggested  to 
Akaitcho  that  it  was  a  good  time  to  make  a  treaty 
of  peace.  This  he  consented  to  do,  but  shcvved 
great  fears  the  nearer  he  came  to  his  enemies. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  Esquimo  fled  the  moment 
they  saw  the  strangers.  Finally,  Akaitcho  re- 
fused to  go  further,  and  returned  to  Fort  Enter- 
prise with  his  men,  promising  to  meet  Franklin's 
party  there.  The  next  day  Mr.  Wentzel  and  four 
Canadians  were  sent  back  to  Slave  Lake  to  for- 
ward dispatches  to  England,  and  to  see  that  the 


!'^ 


Down  tJic  Coppermine. 


IIS 


Indians  were  faithful  to  their  engagement  in  refer- 
ence to  a  supply  of  provisions. 

Franklin  was  now  in  sight  of  the  sea,  and  in  the 
region  of  the  musk-ox,  several  of  which  he  killed. 
They  had  when  attacked  a  singular,  and  for  them- 
selves, an  unfortunate  hal)it.  They  at  once  hud- 
dled together,  as  if  feeling  a  sense  of  safety  in 
being  screened  from  their  enemy  by  one  another. 

They  arrived  on  the  shore  of  the  great  Northern 
Oceans  July  19,  after  a  most  painful  and  perilous 
journey  of  three  hundred  and  thirty-four  miles, 
one  hundred  and  seventeen  of  which  were  made 
by  dragging  their  canoes  and  stores  overland. 

They  now  paddled  along  the  coast  with  their 
frail  canoes.  The  shore  for  awhile  afforded  good 
landing-places,  so  that  they  could  encamp  at 
night.  But  soon  a  steep  and  high  rocky  point, 
against  which  broken  ice  was  piled,  turned  them 
further  out  to  sea.  Just  then  a  violent  storm 
arose,  the  thunder  crashed,  and  their  canoes  were 
frightfully  tossed  by  the  sea.  They  were  com- 
pelled to  seek  the  nearest  hiding-place.  They 
found  a  few  seal,  which  were  too  shy  for  their 
hunters,  and  some  small  deer,  which  fell  into  their 
hands.  But  the  deepest  gloom  rested  upon  the 
encampment.  The  season  of  the  severest  arctic 
cold  was  setting  in,  and  birds  and  beasts  were 
leaving  the  desolate  shore,  while  the  men,  whose 
courage  had  been  remarkable,  began  to  grow  faint- 
hearted. Franklin  saw  that  an  immediate  return 
was  a  necessity.  He  had  followed  the  shore-line 
nearly  six  hundred  miles. 


1 


\- 


il 


'n 


ii6 


Arctic  Heroes. 


f|, 


l!l 


i 


f      4. 


On  their  return  voyage  they  went  up  a  river 
they  had  passed  a  few  days  before,  until  they 
came  to  an  impassable  fall.  Stopping  here  to 
make  two  small  portable  canoes  of  their  two  large 
ones,  they  started  in  as  straight  a  line  as  possible 
for  Fort  Enterprise,  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles  dis- 
tant. Their  suffering  from  cold  and  hunger  soon 
became  too  shocking  to  be  detailed.  An  idea  of 
it  may  be  formed  from  the  fact  that  they  ate  the 
leather  and  raw  hide  of  their  old  shoes.  Too 
weak  to  carry  any  burdens,  Dr.  Richardson's 
scientific  specimens  were  thrown  away,  and,  in 
spite  of  all  remonstrance,  the  men  abandoned 
the  canoes.  In  these  dreadful  hours  of  want 
Franklin  devoutly  says  :  "  We  looked  with  hum- 
ble confidence  to  the  great  Author  and  Giver 
of  all  good  for  the  continuance  of  the  support 
which  had  always  been  given  to  us  at  our  greatest 
need." 

When  they  came  to  the  Coppermine  they  were 
detained  nine  days  in  constructing  a  raft  on  which 
to  cross.  Richardson,  with  a  heroic  devotion  to 
the  interest  of  his  companions,  proposed  to  swim 
the  Coppermine,  and  carry  a  line  tied  around  his 
body  by  which  the  raft  could  be  drawn  safely 
across.  In  attempting  to  carry  into  effect  this 
proposal  he  nearly  reached  the  opposite  side, 
when,  exhausted  by  swimming  and  chilled  by  cold, 
he  sank.  His  companions  drew  him  back  by  the 
rope  in  almost  a  lifeless  state.  They  immediately 
rolled  him  in  a  blanket  and  placed  him  before  a 
fire,  when  he  revived  sufficiently  to  give  directions 


I 


V 


:3{ 


Tff 


his 
fely 
this 
ide, 
old, 

the 
Ltely 
re  a 
ions 


Down  the  Coppermine. 


117 


in  further  efforts  for  his  recovery.  It  was  many 
months  before  he  entirely  recovered. 

>Vlicn  twenty-four  miles  from  Fort  Enterprise, 
Hood's  strength  enlirelv  failed.  Dr.  Richardson 
and  Hepburn  agreed  to  stay  by  him,  and  try  to 
nurse  him  for  further  effort,  while  l^'ranklin  jnessed 
on  with  the  rest  of  the  party.  Before  parting  all 
united  in  prayer,  thanking  (lod  for  the  recent 
rescue  from  imminent  danger  of  one  of  their  num- 
ber, and  invoking  Divine  aid  in  further  labor  and 
peril. 

When  Franklin  had  gone  on  some  distance, 
three  Canadians,  and  Michel,  an  Indian,  turned 
back.  The  Indian  reached  Richardson's  camp, 
but  the  others,  as  he  reported,  had  perished  by 
the  way  of  hunger  and  cold  ;  but  his  conduct  hav- 
ing been  for  some  time  strange,  Hepburn  ex- 
pressed to  Richardson  the  opinion  that  Michel 
had  murdered  the  Canadians.  While  these  pain- 
ful thoughts  were  indulged,  Michel  shot  Hood 
through  the  head  when  alone  with  him  in  the 
tent.  Though  the  ball  had  plainly  entered  the 
back  of  its  victim's  head,  Michel  declared  Hood 
had  shot  himself.  The  murderer  was  armed,  and 
much  stronger  than  the  united  strength  of  both 
white  men,  and  used  threatening  language  to 
them.  In  this  awful  state  they  lived  for  three 
days,  the  Indian  watching  every  motion.  But  at 
last  Richardson  found  an  opj^ortunity  to  save 
their  own  lives,  and  end  the  guilty  career  of  the 
murderer  by  shooting  him  with  a  pistol. 

Franklin,  on  reaching  Fort  Enterprise,  found 
8 


I 


«|,;  I. 


I 


r 

1 

u 

1 

«»9S 

IS      '■ 

IB   ^ 

ra 

■ 

»1 

■ 

i 

1*   ' 

1 

■!1 


,'l! 


m 


■I",     '  i 


!.'4 


'  f 


}■ 


1 

J 
i 

i 

i 

St.    ' 


{■ 

il 


ri8 


Arctic  Heroes. 


neither  food  nor  their  proinisinp;  friend,  Akaitcho. 
Back  had  ])een  there,  and  left  a  note  saying  lie  had 
gone  after  the  chief,  and,  if  need  be,  should  push 
on  to  the  next  fort  and  hurry  up  supplies.  After 
eipjhlccn  days  of  terrible  suffering  at  the  fort,  in 
whic;h  many  of  the  men  died  of  starvation,  Richard- 
son and  Hepburn  dragged  their  emaciated  forms 
into  the  presence  of  their  companions.  The  re- 
united explorers  shocked  each  other  by  their  ghost- 
ly faces  and  sei)ulc:hral  voices.  Another  week  of 
starvation  passed,  in  which  two  more  Canadians 
died.  The  Englishmen,  in  all  their  weakness, 
never  omitted  their  morning  and  evening  religious 
service.  Si)ending  most  of  the  day  lying  on  the 
hard  floor,  for  they  had  no  beds,  the  one  most 
able  would  read  from  God's  Word  comforting 
promises,  and  from  "  Bickersteth's  Scripture 
Helps."  There  was  a  melancholy  interest  at- 
tached to  the  latter.  It  was  given  them  by  a 
pious  lady  before  they  left  London,  and  was  in 
poor  Hood's  hands  when  he  was  shot.  How 
sweet  the  thought  to  his  friends  that  some  "  Script- 
ure Help  "  occupied  his  last  earthly  thoughts. 

On  the  yth  of  November  three  Indian  mes- 
sengers arrived  from  the  ever-faithful  and  indom- 
itable Back  with  sup[)Iies.  These  Indians  not  only 
brought  food  to  the  sufferers,  but  nursed  them 
with  untiring  devotion,  and  conducted  them  slow- 
ly and  cautiously  to  a  place  api)ointed  by  Back. 
Here  were  sledges  and  dogs  and  the  comforts  of 
the  early  days  of  their  explorations,  and  by  easy 
stages,  stopping  some  months  at  Fo-t    Chipeway. 


Doivu  the  Coppennine, 


119 


they  reached  York  Factory  in  July,  1822,  alter 
an  absence  of  three  years,  into  which  luul  been 
crowded  many  life-times  of  suffering,  and  during 
which  they  had  traveled  five  thousand  five  hun- 
dred and  fifty  miles  ! 

When  they  reached  England  honors  and  con- 
gratulations awaited  them.  Franklin  had  been 
made  cajnain,  llood  and  Back  lieutenants,  and  a 
post  of  honor,  pay  and  comfort  had  been  provided 
for  Hepburn  in  the  navy-yard. 


■\ 


p 


M 


'  * 

t. 

.  1 

.: 

'A 

:  r      !■■»» 

.-  {* 


li 


w 


»' 


11:1       -i 


120 


Arctic  Heroes. 


CHAPTER  Xn. 


:!r 


■ 

1 

'*  -'.i 

•  1 

■     i 

1:!  ^li 


i'i 


.■■if  '• 


A  CHEERFUL  ARCTIC   WINTER. 

IN  May,  1821,  while  Franklin  was  in  the  midst 
of  his  overland  expedition,  of  which  we  have 
just  given  an  account,  his  friend  Parry  commenced 
his  second  voyage.  Jt  was  hoped,  as  before,  that 
they  would  find  the  north-west  passage  and  meet. 

We  left  Parry,  on  his  return  from  Lancaster 
Sound,  in  the  church  with  his  officers  and  men, 
giving  thanks  to  God  for  his  guidance  and  preserv- 
ing care.  We  shall  see  him  putting  his  x'"ace  again 
toward  the  icy  regions,  in  the  same  devout  spirit. 

The  flag-ship,  this  time,  commanded  by  Parry, 
was  the  "Fury;"  his  second  in  command,  Lieut. 
Lyon,  took  charge  of  the  "  Hecla.'^  The  ships 
fortunately  possessed  about  the  same  capacity  for 
sailing,  which  kept  them  together.  Many  of  the 
officers  and  men  of  the  first  expedition  were  in 
this,  and  the  utmost  harmony  prevailed. 

An  incident  occurred,  as  the  ships  were  sailing 
down  the  Thames,  of  a  sad  character,  but  bring- 
ing out  the  excellent  Christian  spirit  of  the  com- 
mander. There  was  on  board  the  "  Fury  "  an  old 
seaman  by  the  name  of  John  Gordon,  a  tall,  well- 
proportioned  man  of  great  strength  and  activity. 
In  the  commencement  of  the  former  voyage  he 
was  like  many  sailors,  rough,  ready,  profane,  and 


■I 


1 ; 


A  CJieerful  Arctic  Winter. 


121 


in 


coarse.  But  during  tlie  long  ice-imprisonment  at 
Melville  Island,  under  the  religious  instruction  of 
his  commander,  he  was  born  of  the  Spirit.  His 
Christian  intluence  on  shipboard  promised  now  to 
be  of  the  most  positive  character.  But  in  attempt- 
ing to  throw  a  kedge-anchor  from  a  boat  the  line 
5'ttached  to  it  became  entangled  round  his  body, 
jerked  him  overboard,  and  drowned  him. 

Parry,  in  writing  to  his  parents  soon  after  this, 
says  :  "  I  can  safely  say  I  never  felt  so  strongly  the 
vanity,  uncertainty,  and  the  com})arative  unimpor- 
tance of  every  thing  this  world  can  give,  and  the 
paramount  necessity  of  a  preparation  for  another 
and  a  better  life,  than  this." 

No  other  incident  worthy  of  note  occurred  to 
the  discoverers  until  their  arrival  at  the  mouth  of 
Hudson  Strait.  Here  a  supply  transport,  the 
"  Nautilus,"  which  came  with  them  thus  far.  re- 
turned home  with  the  last  news. 

Let  the  reader  now  turn  to  a  good  map  of  North 
America.  He  will  see  that  Parry's  first  voyage 
was  past  this  strait,  through  Davis  Strait  and 
Baffin  Bay  to  Lancasti^r  Sound,  then  due  west  to 
]\Ielville  Island.  Nozv  he  proposed  to  go  west, 
through  Hudson  Strait  to  Southampton  Island, 
and  then  to  work  his  way  north  through  unexplored 
waters  to  the  Polar  Sea.  It  was  a  bold  plan,  and 
we  shall  see  how  bravely  it  was  prosecuted. 

The  ships  were  soon  enveloped  in  fogs.  When 
these  lifted  they  revealed  a  barren  shore,  drip- 
ping with  melting  ice,  hills  covered  with  snow, 
and  whole  lleets  of  icebergs,  one  covinting  fifty- 


-« 


Y\ 


i 


H 


'i 


,f:l 


i'i 


'■» 


!l: 


|»      -1 


i         I 


]  OO 


Arctic  HEiiOKS. 


lour.  A  single  berg,  which  attracted  special  atten- 
tion, rose  two  huridred  antl  fit'ty-cight  feet  above 
the  sea.  These  crystal  islands  were  no  welcome 
sights  to  the  strangers,  When  they  ran  a-tilt 
against  each  other,  as  they  often  did  without  warn- 
ing, it  would  be  neither  pleasant  nor  safe  to  be 
between  them.  I'here  was  another  performance 
which  the  bergs  fancied,  but  the  sailors  did  not; 
they  occasionally  launched  into  the  sea  a  large  j^art 
of  one  of  their  sides  ;  this  destroyed  their  balance, 
and  they  immediately  turned  something  like  a 
somersault.  As  the  ships  must  of  necessity  some- 
times go  c|uite  near  the  bergs,  as  there  was  never 
any  advertisement  when  this  performance  would 
come  off,  and  as  it  was  attended  by  a  great  com- 
motion in  the  sea,  the  whole  thing  was  decidedly 
disagreeable. 

They  reached,  through  much  toil,  the  south- 
east shore  of  Southampton  Island;  the  next  pcmt 
at  which  they  aimed  was  Repulse  Bay,  the  most 
northern  yet  known  water  in  this  direction,  lying 
a  little  west  of  the  extreme  north  of  this  island. 
They  pressed  on  up  the  nearest — the  west — side, 
though  the  round-.bout  way  on  the  east  side  of 
the  island  was  known  to  be  much  clearer  of  ice. 
Though  sometimes  decidedly  warned  off  by  the  Ice 
King,  they  did  enter  Repulse  Bay  and  found  clear 
sai'"ng.  Sending  up  a  shout  for  the  north-west 
passage,  they  spread  their  sails  for  di.e  west.  But 
it  ])iovod  a  short  tr\\)  to  the  land  boundaries  in 
that  direction.  A  little  cu'st-fallen,  they  came  out 
of  the  bay  and  sailed  north,  observing  every  little 


A  Chcrvfitl  Arctic  Winter, 


123 


inlet  wliich  turned  west.  At  the  entrance  of  one 
of  these,  which  they  named  Lyon  Inlet,  after 
the  second  oflicer  in  command,  tliey  found  a  small 
island.  As  tlie  season  for  further  navigation  was 
ended  tliey  cut  a  canal  in  the  ice  to  the  southern 
shore  of  this  island,  which  they  called  Winter 
Island,  and  drew  up  their  ships  into  winter- 
quarters. 

They  were  better  prepared  with  provisions, 
means  of  warming  the  vessels,  and  comforts  every 
way,  than  on  the  first  voyage.  Once  adjusted  in 
their  outward  arrangements  to  their  situation, 
Parry  set  in  operation  the  means  to  interest  and 
profit  his  men,  and  so  to  niake  them  contented  and 
happy.  A  thoughtful  Christian  lady  had  put  on 
board  a  large  and  well-constructed  magic  lantern. 
This  was  set  up,  and  afforded  much  amusement. 
The  officers  formed  themselves  into  a  niusical 
band.  Parry  himself  joined,  as  he  claimed  to  be 
"  a  pretty  tolerable "  performer.  After  a  little 
practice  they  treated  the  crews  to  free  concerts. 
We  presume  their  audience  were  delighted  and 
not  over  critical. 

But  the  Christian  commander  aimed  not  at 
amusement  only.  The  lower  decks  of  both  ships 
were  cleared,  and  made  inviting  school-rooms. 
Here,  several  evenings  in  each  week,  the  men  were 
taught  reading  and  writing.  At  Christmas  sixteen 
well-written  copies  were  handed  to  the  teachers 
bv  sailors  who  when  the  school  began  could  not 
write  a  line.  It  was  said  by  the  commander,  with 
great  satisfaction,  '*  Though  many  came  out  with  me 


I 


f 

If 

I 


i 

f>i 

Ir 


■  1: 

U:     • 

■   i: 
9 

H 

•  1 

4  1' 

m 


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.  I 


> 


■a 
ill-  '.y 


;Et 


Mi^       ! 


n  '^ 


■M    ■; 


':    ti    1 


124 


Arctic  Heroes. 


who  did  not  know  a  letter,  when  we  returned  home 
there  was  not  a  man  who  could  not  read  his  Bible." 
The  position  of  the  ships  was  in  waters  never 
before  visited  by  white  men,  but  Esquimo  were 
soon  found  to  be  there.  They  at  first  viewed  the 
strangers  at  a  distance  vvith  agitation  and  wonder. 
When  invited  nearer  they  came  on,  running,  skip- 
ping, and  laughing,  being  well-nig>  beside  them- 
selves with  the  strange  things  beforo  them.  But 
they  were  soon  on  easy  terms  with  ♦^^he  sailors. 
The  hand-organ  and  "fiddle"  were  put  in  opera- 
tion, making  them  wild  with  delight.  They  sung 
and  danced  in  their  way,  uproarious  the  while  with 
laughter,  in  which  the  strangers  joined  heartily. 
At  one  time  the  fiddler  was  sent  out  upon  the  ice, 
and  "  all  hands  "  joined  in  the  dance,  savages  and 
white  men,  officers  and  sailors,  making  a  sight 
"both  rare  and  comic."  The  "figure"  of  the 
Esquimo  consisted  in  stamping  and  jumping  with 
all  their  strength.  One  young  sailor,  a  fresh,  ruddy 
fellow,  excited  the  special  attention  of  the  Esquimo 
ladies.  They  patted  him  on  the  face,  and  danced 
about  him  in  a  ring.  The  natives  were  so  excited 
generally  that  they  became  uproarious,  cutting  the 
most  extraordinary  capers,  and  acting  as  if  they 
were  drunk.  One  of  their  jokes  was  to  come  slyly 
up  to  the  sailors,  shout  piercingly  in  one  ear,  and 
give  the  other  a  rousing  slap,  bursting  at  the  same 
lime  into  a  loud  laugh.  The  cook  of  the  "  Fury  " 
was  so  fine  a  jumper  that  he  was  singled  out  for 
this  kind  of  compliment.  The  poor  fellow  found 
his  honors  so  uncomfortable  that  he  had  to  flee  to 


1    i 


m 


A  Cheerful  Arctic  Winter. 


125 


the  ship  to  escape  them.  Parry  says  of  himself: 
"While  lookinj^  on  I  was  sharply  saluted  in  this 
manner,  and,  of  course,  was  quite  startled,  to  the 
great  amusement  of  the  bystanders." 

One  of  the  natives,  glorying  in  his  superior 
strength,  and  having  thrown  sevetal  of  his  coun- 
trymen in  wrestling  trials,  tried  his  muscles  on 
one  of  the  ofificers.  The  officer  was  a  strong  man 
and  skilled  withal  in  the  game,  so  that  the  Es{[ui- 
mo  soon  came  in  contact  with  the  ice  rather  vio- 
lently, at  which  the  whole  company  set  up  a  pro- 
voking laugh.  But  the  vanquished  champion, 
with  admirable  good  sense,  though  rubbim;  his 
shins  for  pain,  joined  heartily  in  the  merriment. 

The  same  officer  appointed  himself  teacher  "of 
polite  accomplishments."  He  took  several  Es- 
quimo  women  and  taught  them  to  bow,  courtesy, 
shaRe  hands,  turn  their  toes  out,  and  put  on  draw- 
ing-room airs  generally,  master  and  pupils  pre- 
serving the  while  the  most  becoming  sobriety. 

But  the  Esquimo  had  an  eye  to  trade  as  well  as 
fun.  One  day  a  company  of  their  women  came 
on  board  and  sought  the  officers.  As  the  ther- 
mometer was  twenty  degrees  below  zero,  the  white 
men  were  not  surprised  that  their  visitors  were 
unusually  well  burdened  with  fur  clothing;  but 
their  modesty  was  for  a  moment  shocked  when 
they  began  to  undress  in  the  open  air.  But  they 
soon  ascertained  that  the  women  had  on  several 
suits,  the  outer  ones  being  intended  for  sale,  they 
having  put  them  on  as  a  convenient  way  of  get- 
ting their  goods  to  market. 


I        j: 


I'    'J 


(  ; 


.<  i 


'^it 


126 


Arctic  Heroes. 


! ' 

1 

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1 

1? 

1 

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■^'4 

■ 

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The  Esquimo  matU;  loud  protestations  of  hon- 
esty in  their  business  visits,  and  we  shall  present 
some  pleasing  illustrations  of  a  good  claim  being 
made  to  such  professions.  But  exceptions  would 
occur,  and  they  were  lound  to  bear  watching. 
One  lady  sold  a  single  fur  boot,  but  refused  to  sell 
the  other  though  offered  for  it  a  good  price.  The 
zeal  slie  showed  in  refusing  naturally  excited  in 
the  purchasers  of  fur  boots  *'  for  ladies  wear  "  a 
desire  to  obtain.  But  as  the  market  was  "tight" 
in  this  direction,  the  buyers  rudely  took  the  arti- 
cle by  violence,  it  proved  to  be  a  valuable  boot, 
containing  two  silver  spoons  and  a  pewter  plate. 
The  lady  thief  laughed  heartily  at  the  incident 
as  a  good  joke,  being  sorry  apparently  only  that 
she  had  not  succeeded  in  getting  off  with  her 
booty. 

Soon  after  the  visit  of  the  Esquimo  the  ex- 
plorers saw  for  the  first  time  a  village  on  the  near 
sh;.ie,  of  buow  huts.  It  burst  upon  them  like 
stage  scenery  behind  a  suddenly  drawn  curtain. 
All  wondered  that  not  even  the  sharp  look-out 
from  the  crow's  nest  had  seen  it  before.  But  the 
Esquimo  explained  the  mystery  by  putting  one 
up  in  a  few  hours.  They  were  constructed  of 
smoothly  cut  blocks  of  snow,  so  adjusted  as  to 
make  an  architectural  dome,  th.e  key-block  going 
nicely  into  its  place.  It  was  entered  by  a  hole  at 
the  side,  into  which  a  long  tunnel  was  fitted.  All 
M'ho  entered  must  get  dowm  upon  their  knees  and 
creep  through  this  tunnel,  which  was  fastened  up 
on  the  inside,  when  necessary,  with  a  block  of  ice. 


A  CJieerful  Arctic   Winter. 


127 


Inside  there  was  a  raised  platform  of  snow  around 
the  sides.  Upon  this  skins  were  thrown,  making 
thie  sleei)ing-j)Kace  for  all  the  inmates.  A  Jiolc  was 
left  in  the  top  for  ventilation,  into  which,  when 
they  wanted  the  cold  shut  out,  they  fitted  a  piece 
of  clear  ice.  This  answered  for  a  window.  A 
large  bone  was  fixed  across  the  ceiling,  to  which 
they  hung  a  stone  lamp.  Seal  oil  and  various 
kinds  of  fat  were  burned  in  this,  affording  a  fire 
for  all  purposes.  These  simple  people  seem  to 
build  th(Mr  homes  by  a  kind  of  instinct,  like  the 
beaver,  and  when  not  in  contact  with  a  higher 
civilization,  the  same  arrangement  passes  from 
father  to  son,  essentially  unchanged  for  genera- 
tions. 

Parry  on  a  visit  to  one  of  the  huts  purchased 
the  stone  lamp  of  the  housekeeper.  She  took  it 
down,  em})tied  out  the  oil,  and  wiped  it  out  with 
a  part  of  her  dress.  This  not  making  it  sufii- 
ciently  clean  to  satisfy  her  tidy  notion,  she  licked 
it  out  with  her  tongue. 

Among  the  visitors  to  the  ships  was  a  woman  of 
a  very  remarkable  character.  As  her  husband's 
name  was  Okotook,  we  will  call  her,  in  brief, 
Mrs.  O.,  for  her  own  name  is  hard  to  write  or 
speak.  Mrs.  O.  had  a  fine  musical  ear,  and  a 
soft,  pleasant  voice.  She  was  expert  with  her 
needle,  and  neat  and  clean  in  all  her  w(*rk.  She 
did  not  look  at  things  new  and  wonderful  to  her 
with  a  vulgar  stare,  but  was  curious  to  know 
their  use.  Mrs.  O.  had  another  excellence  still 
more  wonderful  for  an   Esquimo ;   she  would  not 


■'-*A    •   : 


,4 


ii 


V  ii| 


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rA 


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; 

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■■I 


If'' 


128 


Arctic  Heroes. 


steal — at  least,  the  strangers  believed  that  she 
would  not.  Her  honesty  certainly  shone  in  two 
or  three  incidents  which  are  given  in  the  narra- 
tive. Here  is  one.  She  had  promised  to  cover 
for  Parry  a  small  model  canoe,  but  as  it  was  not 
done  on  time  he  charged  her  with  a  want  of  good 
faith.  Her  vehement  gestures  and  face  of  injured 
innocence  ([uite  moved  him.  After  a  while  an 
Esquimo  came  in  with  whom  the  canoe  had 
been  intrusted  by  Mrs.  O.  to  bring  it  to  the  com- 
mander. She  immediately  charged  him  with  the 
delinquency.  Parry  adds:  "It  is  impossible  for 
me  to  describe  the  quiet  yet  proud  satisfaction 
displayed  in  her  countenance  in  thus  having 
cleared  herself  from  a  breach  of  j)romise." 

Being  well  convinced  of  the  superior  intelli- 
gence of  Mrs.  O.,  it  occurred  to  Parry  that  she 
might  know  something  of  the  coast  which  he 
wished  to  explore.  So  he  put  paper  and  a  pencil 
in  her  hand,  and,  with  some  difficulty,  succeeded 
in  making  her  understand  what  he  desired.  She 
began  at  once  to  fill  sheet  after  sheet  until  she 
had  filled  a  dozen  with  the  outlines. of  the  coast. 
The  officers,  who  looked  on  with  deep  interest, 
saw  her  indicate  the  turn  of  the  land  to  the  west, 
giving  a  water  communication  in  that  direction. 
This  chart  was  afterward  proved  to  be  essentially 
correct.  • 

Mrs.  O.  had  a  son,  Toolooak,  who  inherited 
his  mother's  gifts  and  strong  natural  affection. 
He  would  sit  in  the  cabin  of  the  "  Fury  "  hours 
together,    with    pencil    and    paper,    absorbed    in 


^'1  CJiccrful  Arctic    Winter. 


'J 


129 


sketching.  His  particular  delight  was  in  drawing 
animals,  of  which  he  seemed  never  tired. 

Parry  asked  him  one  day  if  he  would  go  to  En- 
gland with  him. 

"No!"  he  replied  promptly,  repeating  it  with 
emphasis  many  times.  "  No  !  If  I  should  leave 
my  father  Okotook  he  would  cry." 

Okotook  w^as  at  one  time  sick.  His  wife  im- 
mediately manifested  the  deepest  concern,  sitting 
by  him  for  hours  with  her  hair  disheveled,  refusing 
food  and  rest.  The  physician  of  the  expedition 
gave  him  a  dose  of  medicine.  It  was  his  first 
dose,  and  he  took  it  with  great  fear  and  agitation. 
Taking  the  cup  in  one  hand  he  extended  the  other 
to  his  wife,  who  grasped  it  with  both  of  hers.  She 
evidently  expected  some  great  catastrophe  to  fol- 
low. But  Okotook  recovered,  and  great  in  their 
estimation  was  the  white  man's  medicme. 

Such  is  the  remarkable  picture  given  of  Mrs. 
Okotook.  But  alas  for  the  heathen  !  Before  part- 
ing with  her  she  developed  to  the  strangers  unmis- 
takable traits  of  the  savage.  The  reader  will  per- 
ceive more  and  more,  as  our  narrative  progresses, 
that  the  Esquimo,  though  having  many  amiable 
traits,  and  comparing  favorably  with  any  heathen 
on  earth,  are  savages  still,  having  but  low  moral 
sensibilities.  How  can  it  be  otherwise  since  they 
see  God  so  dimly. 

We  will  give  only  a  few  additional  touches  to 
our  picture  of  Esquimo  life  and  character  before 
leaving  Winter  Island  for  further  discoveries. 

Parry  invited  the  belle  of  the  tribe  to  sit  for  her 


il 

! 


i'  \ 


■:^. 

hi 

i3() 


Arctic  Heroes. 


rf 


jjortrait,  and  wlicn  it  was  finished,  he  inquired  of 
her  cUkI  her  husband  what  prLSciilhc  sljould  make 
theui  for  the  favor.  'I'hey  both  exckiimed,  "  A 
packet  of  talU)\v  candles!"  These  l)eing  given, 
they  immediately  ate  them  !  The  wick  of  one,  in 
going  down,  slightly  embarrassed  the  kidy,  and 
Parry  politely  drew  it  out  of  her  throat. 

Commander  Lyon  invited  an  ''  intelligent  "  young 
Esquimo    to   dine    with    him.     He    was    first    in- 
stnicted  in  the  etiquette  of  the  white  man's  table, 
and  shown  how  to  use  a  knife  and  fork  and  napkin. 
After  dining,  he  was  directed  to  the  toilet  stand  to 
wash.     He  manifested  such  delight  with  the  piece 
of  perfumed  Windsor  soap  that   Lyon  gave   it  to 
him.     He  laughed  his  thanks,  and  ate  it  on  the  spot. 
We    shall  find   in   i^.iost   of  the   Arctic   voyages 
thrilling   bear   stories,   some  of  them   tragic,  and 
others  comic,  but  most  of  them  having  the  matter- 
of-fact  character  of  substantial  meals  to  starving 
explorers.      Here   is   a  comic   one.      One   of  the 
Esquimo  was   busy  in  disengaging  from  his   net  a 
seal   he   had  taken,   when  he  felt   a  slap   on   his 
shoulder.     Thinking  it  came  from  a  companion, 
he  continued  to  work.     But  a  second  slap  caused 
him   to  look   up,  when,  horrors  !   a  grim  old  bear 
sat  on   his  haunches  with  uplifted  paws  and  open 
mouth  directly  over  him  ;  he  seemed  to  say,  "  My 
good  fellow,  don't  trouble  yourself  further  about 
this  seal ;  LU  take  it  off  your  hands  !"     'i'he  imme- 
diate result  was   a   healthy  run  by  the    Esquimo, 
and  a  good  meal  on  seal's  flesh  by  the  bear.     We 
cannot  say  that  we  think  the  transaction  was  ex- 


A  Cheerful  Arctic    Winter. 


13T 


actly  fair  on  tlic  bear's  part,  but  these  things  touk 
])lace  in  a  heathen  land. 

The  merry  winter  at   Winter    Island    was  not 
succeeded    by   an   early   spring  nor   a   successful 
summer.     Sickness    came  just   before   navigation 
could  be  resumed,  and  three  men  died.     In  July 
the  expedition  sailed  up  Fo.x  Channel,  and,  after 
many  failures,  much  delay,  and  several  land  ex- 
cursions, the  ships  got  into  a  narrow  lead  of  water, 
at  first  free  from  ice.     It  soon,  however,  presented 
a  field  of  "  soft  ice,"  through  which,  for  some  liiiie, 
they  forced    the   ship    by   crowding    on    all    sail. 
Parry  had  seen  from  a  high  point  on  shore  to  which 
he  h.id   climbed   an  oj^en    sea  beyond  this  strait, 
and  this,  of  course,  inspired  intense  desire  to  \)Wr.\\ 
through.     But,  alas  !    they  soon  ran   against  sc^lid 
ice,    where    they    remained    for    another    wintc/. 
They  .lamed  the  place  Igloolik.     A  second  Arctic 
winter   may  be   endured,  but  it  seems  impossible 
for  it  to  be  enjoyed.     The  third  summer's  toil  did 
not  yield    great  results,  but  Parry    was  sure  the 
water  he  was  in  was  f^ither  the  Polar  sea  or  an  arm 
of  it,  though  we  may  see  by  the  map  that  he  was 
not  as  near  it  by  several  degrees   as  when  on  his 
first  voyage.     So  strong  was  his  conviction   that 
he  had  almost  grasped  success,  that  he  ])roposed 
confidentially   to  Commander    Lyon   to   spend   a 
third  winter  in  the   Arctic    ice.     His  plan  was   to 
send   Lyon  home  in  the  "  Hecla  "  witli  dis))atches, 
and  remain  himself  in  the  "  Fury,"  and  push  north 
the  following  summer.     He  even  prepared  his  dis- 
patches, saying  to   the  home  authorities   that   he 


IH: 


•y  '       r 


»•. 


w 


132 


Arctic  Heroes. 


should  undoubtedly  come  home  by  way  of  Kam- 
chatka. This  was  plucky,  but  human  energy  is 
nothins^  when  ojjposed  to  the  defiance  of  ice  and 
cold.  These  sent  the  scurvy  among  the  men  of 
the  "  Fury"  and  "  Hecla,"  and  they  turned  their 
prows  homeward,  which  they  were  glad  to  reach 
in  October,  1823,  having  been  gone  three  sum- 
mers and  two  winters. 


'HI 


i      '■ 


Arctic  Revival  Work. 


133 


CHAPTER   XIV. 


ARCTIC     REVIVAL     WORK. 


WE  have  found  Captain  Parry  a  pleasant  and 
profitable  guide  in  our  excursions  into  the 
regions  of  cold,  and  as  we  are  assured  we  shall  not 
find  his  enthusiasm  nor  excellence  of  character 
diminished,  we  will  follow  him  to  the  end  of  his 
career  as  an  explorer. 

He  remained  at  home  only  about  six  months 
after  the  close  of  his  second  voyage,  and  during  a 
part  of  this  time  he  was  prostrate  with  sickness. 
In  May,  1824,  he  sailed  again  with  the  "  Fury  "  and 
"  Hecla,"  this  time  choosing  the  "  Hecla"  as  his 
flag-ship,  the  "  Fury"  being  commanded  by  Lieu- 
tenant Hoppner.  Prince  Regent  Inlet  was  to  be  the 
waters  through  which  tlie  north-west  passage  was 
now  to  be  sought.  The  reader  will  see  it  just 
north  of  Boothia  Bay,  near  which  he  spent  the  last 
winter  of  his  late  voyage.  To  reach  it,  however, 
he  proposed  to  take  his  first  route  through  Lan- 
caster Sound. 

As  the  details  of  this  are  much  like  those  of  the 
other  expeditions,  we  shall  only  dwell  upon  a  few 
striking  incidents. 

It  was  Sunday  morning  in    Davis  Strait.      All 

were  assembled  for  Divine   service  except  those 

required  to  sail   the  ship  ;  now,  as  she   often  had 

done,  bravely  fighting  the  ice.     Parry  had  nearly 
9 


''»( 


M 


\  \ 


i 


1       f 


I  I. 


II'     .:.     \^        J 


134 


Arctic  Heroes. 


ended  a  sermon  he  was  readini:;,  when  the  quarter- 
master crept  up  to  him  with  evident  agit*ation,  and 
whispered  a  few  hurried  words.  The  commander, 
without  betraying  any  emotion,  asked  a  few  ques- 
tions in  a  low  tone,  and  sent  him  back  to  his  post 
of  duty,  continuing  his  reading,  as  though  nothing 
had  happened.  The  sermon  finished,  the  Divine 
blessing  implored,  he  raised  his  hand  and  said  : — 

"  Now,  my  lads,  all  hands  on  deck — but  mind, 
no  bustle  !  " 

The  fog  had  cleared  up  during  the  service,  and 
the  ship  was  heading  toward  the  land.  The  ca[)- 
tain,  judging  from  what  the  (juarler-ma.-^ter  reported 
thai  there  was  time  to  finisli  the  sersice,  now  took 
his  place  of  command,  and  the  ship  was  soon  out 
of  danger. 

'*  I  knew  we  could  trust  our  captain!"  ex- 
claimed one  of  the  sailors,  wiping  a  tear  from  his 
weather-beaten  face. 

The  vessels  reached  Regent  Inlet  in  Septem- 
ber, and  attempted  to  sail  south.  Tliis  was  pre- 
cisely what  they  attempted  to  do  in  the  same  place 
on  the  first  voyage  in  1819,  but  were  jirevented 
doing  bv  tlie  ice  ;  thev  found  now  the  same  un- 
yickling  barrier,  and  were  forced  i'lto  winter-<piar- 
tcrs  on  the  east  side  of  tlie  inlet,  near  its  mouth. 
Here  were  no  F^squiino  and  no  animals,  but  plenty 
of  (-old,  ice,  and  utter  desolation.  Besides,  most 
of  the  men  had  exjierienced  three  Arctic  winters, 
so  that  tlie  "  Am  of  the  thing  "  was  gone,  but  the 
awful  .jilence  of  the  long  night,  and  the  oppressive 
dteariness,  remained.     But  hov,-  strange  are  God's 


Arctic  Revival   Work. 


135 


ways  !  and  good  as  strange  I  This  dark  winter  was 
the  occasion,  to  many  of  the  men,  of  the  coming 
into  their  hearts  of  the  light  which  shineth  more  and 
more  imto  the  perfect  day  I  Even  to  Captain  Parry 
it  commenced  a  new  era  of  Christian  experience. 
The  fact  may  be  thr  ,  briefly  stated  : — 

On  his  return  from  his  hist  voyage  he  learned 
that,  during  his  absence,  his  father  had  died. 
This  deeply  affected  Jiim,  as  his  home  ties  had 
been  of  a  remnrkablv  strong  character,  and  his  af- 
fection  for  his  fuhor  very  intense.  It  created  in 
him  searching  self-e.xamination,  and  new  aspira- 
tion in  the  Divine  life. 

Fortunately  for  the  further  cultivation   of  this 


frame  of  mind,   thi 


pu 


rser  of  the  "  Hecla, 


Ml 


Hooper,  was  a  man  of  dec])  experience  in  the  spir- 
itual life,  and  of  unceasing  Christian  activity. 
Between  the  captain,  therefore,  and  his  purser 
there  sprung  up  a  close  Christian  friendship,  and 
many  Arctic  hours  passed  swiftly  by  while  they 
were  conversing  of  the  higher  Christian  life. 

Parry  commenced  now  a  careful,  thorough  study 
of  the  New  Testament,  applying  its  truths  to  his 
own  heart  as  he  had  never  done.  Thus  seeking, 
he  found  the  blessing  of  a  greater  measure  of  the 


Tl 


le  entrance 


Spirit.     He   says   of  the   result  : 

of  the  word  giveth  liglu  ;  '  so  it  was  in  my  experi- 


ence. 


H( 


e  speaks    especially    o 


f   1 


lis   increasec 


•eh 


f  ^'hrist  as  received  into  the  heart 


ap])renension  o 

by  faith,  and  as  the  only  means   of  entrance   into 

th( 


u 


narrow  way 


Thus  blessed  in  a  Christian  heli)er,  and  thus  en- 


4*» 


V 


■^l\: 


;t- 


n\ 


w^ 


■36 


Arctic  Heroes. 


hi 


i 


•■; 


\u 


larged  in  his  own  experience,  his  labors  for  the 
sijiritual  welfare  of  his  men  could  but  be  attended 
with  marked  results. 

The  schools,  now  having  the  zealous  labors  of 
Mr.  Hooper,  became  at  once  so  popular  that  all 
the  men  of  both  ships  attended  them.  Parry  says  : 
*'  They  made  such  a  scene  of  quiet  occupation  as 
I  never  before  witnessed  on  board  a  ship." 

Mr.  Hooper's  journal  affords  us  the  following 
glance  at  one  of  the  Sunday  evening  meetings  : 
"  I  ha  'e  been  this  evening  gratified  beyond  meas- 
ure by  the  conduct  of  my  school.  We  assembled 
as  usual,  and  Cai:)tain  Parry  read  to  us  an  excel- 
lent sermon.  We  then  read  over  three  or  four 
times  the  second  lesson  of  the  day,  and  I  ex- 
pounded it  to  the  best  of  my  ability.  After  this 
we  went  to  ])rayers,  and  having  closed,  I  wished 
them  good-night  as  usual,  when  my  friend  John 
Darke,  a  seaman  of  the  '  Hecla,"  said  he  wished 
to  say  a  few  words.  He  then  dropjjed  upon  his 
knees,  and  in  a  few  simple  but  affecting  words 
returned  thanks  for  the  blessings  enjoyed  by  him- 
self and  shipmates  in  a  Christian  captain  and  a 
Christian  teacher,  imploring  the  blessing  of  God 
upon  Captain  Parry  and  myself.  After  this  he 
desired  for  himself  and  his  shipmates  to  thank  me 
for  the  trouble  I  had  taken.  The  countenances 
of  every  one  spoke  the  same  thing,  and  showed 
that  Darke  had  been  put  forward  by  them  to  utter 
these  kind  words." 

This  Darke,  some  time  after  the  return  of  the 
ship,  acknowledged,  in  a  letter  to  Hooper,  that  the 


V 


( 


Arctic  Rci'ii'd/   Work. 


^67 


instruction  he  received  in  the  "  Hecla  "  was  the 
means  "of  saving  his  soul." 

Thus  passed  the  winter.  The  spring  was  occu- 
pied in  i)art  by  e.\i)loring  parties  in  various  direc- 
tions. It  was  not  un.il  July  that  the  shi))s  were 
afloat  and  the  voyage  renewed.  But  it  w;s  soon 
brought  to  a  disastrous  close.  The  "  floes,"  great 
masses  of  ice,  were  in  active  operation,  forced  on 
by  stormy  currents  and  high  winds.  One  of  these 
seized  both  ships  and  tossed  them  upon  the  shore 
as  if  tliey  had  been  its  i.)laythings.  They  were 
'!,oi  off  at  high  water,  hut  the  ''  Fury  "  was  in  a 
blinking  condition.  All  haras  worked  at  tlie 
pumps  until  the)  were  exhausted  in  body  and 
bewildered  in  mind.  The  ''  Hecla  "  c  ame  to  her 
rescue,  but  she  continued  in  a  (lesi)erate  condi- 
tion until  finally  she  went  ashore  again  a  hopeless 
wreck. 

All  hands  were  now  piled  into  the  "  Hecla," 
leaving  no  room  for  additional  stores  from  tiie 
"Fury."  Thus  situated  there  was  no  course  left 
to  the  disappointed  Parry  but  to  return  home. 
The  '^aj:0\\  was  yet  early,  the  sea  oi>en  southward, 
and  ^'.xmed  to  him  like  turning  his  back  ui)on 
the  lon^ .  i  ught  prize. 

Thougii  unsuccessful  in  the  main  object  of  his 

l^  iges,  Parry  had  added,  more  than  any  otlier 
explorer,  to  ■  •  geographical  knowledge  of  the 
])olar  regions.  This  was  appreciated,  and,  even 
now,  fresh  honors  were  sliowereci  ujion  him.  Put 
h.  turned  from  these  to  let  his  new  Christian  light 
6l);r ;  in  active,  self-denying  labor  for  the  salvation 


f: 


' 


,  i;  iV 


i:'i..- 


I3'S 


Arctic  Heroes. 


iV 


of  souls.  I''roin  henceforth  many  were  to  know 
him  as  a  faithful  Christian,  who  would  never  have 
known  him  as  the  brave,  successful  navigator. 
This  change,  he  says,  made  him  the  subject  of 
many  sneers;  but  he  could  well  afford  to  receive 
these  unmoved,  having  the  approbation  of  the 
good  and  the  Sinile  of  his  Master. 

While  thus  working  for  Christ,  Parry  married  a 
daughtei  of  Sir  John  Stanley,  v.'ho  seems  to  have 
entered  into  all  his  1   '.ors. 

But   his   enthusiasm  polar  exploration   was 

unabated.  A  sledge  jou.  .ey  from  Spitzbergen  to 
the  northern  ice  center  was  now  all  the  talk.  The 
suggestion  is  said  to  have  come  from  Scoresby, 
the  intelligent  and  bra\e  captain  of  a  whaler, 
whom  we  have  met  before.  Parry  and  Franklin 
had  conversed  together  concerning  the  jjroposal. 
So,  early  in  the  s]>ring  of  T827,  Parry  was  sent  in 
his  well-tried  "  Hecla,"  with  a  picked  crev,-,  to 
make  the  bold  experiment. 

Their  departure  from  England  was  honored  by 
a  "  flag  raising  "  on  board,  by  his  wife,  and  by  the 
presence  and  blessing  of  many  friends.  The  ship 
touched  at  a  port  in  Norway  and  took  in  eight 
reindeer  and  a  sup[)ly  of  their  moss  provender. 
With  these  they  expected  to  make  long  and  rapid 
journeys  over  le\'el  if  not  smooth  ice  ;  to  this  end 
they  received  lessons  in  their  management  and 
care  from  the  Norwegians. 

ilaving  reached  a  point  a  little  north  of  Spitz- 
bergen, rhey  committed  the  "  Hecla  "  to  her  ice- 
prison  and  hoisted  out  their  two  boats,  the  "  En- 


A  rctic  Re:  'ii  'a!   \  \  'ork. 


139 


d 


eavor 


and  "■  Enterprise."  These  wc-e  each 
twenty  feet  long  by  seven  wide;  tliey  were  fin- 
ished with  a  floor  inside  affording  a  good  slecjMng- 
pi 
coil 
can 


ice;     runners   were    so   framed    that    the   boats 
Id  be  placed  upright  upon  them  ;  a  water-proof 


vas  covering  was  provi 


ded 


w 


heeh 


anc 


1    1 


IX- 


tures  to  make  a  carriage  of  them  were  stowed 
away  among  the  freight;  and  the  material  and 
workmanship  of  all  were  of  the  best  character. 

They  were  thus  ])repared  to  sail,  slide  along  on 
runners,  or  trundle  ahead  on  wheels. 

Disappointment  and  baftled  plans  are  always 
in  order  'v^  the  icy  regions.  Instead  of  something 
like  a  plain,  and  a  solid  continent  of  ice,  as  otiier 
explorers  had  seen,  or  thought  they  saw,  our  voy- 
agers were  confronted  at  the  start  bv  ul!;1v  hum- 
mocks — jagged  piles  of  ice — and  drifting  lloes. 
The  reindeer  could  be  of  no  use  and  they  were 
left  behind,  probably  as  junks  of  frozen  venison 
for  future  use.  Having  spent  some  weeks  in  short 
explorations,  and  in  deferred  hope  of  a  better 
condition  of  traveling,  the  boat  excursionists  left 
the  shi})  in  the  middle  of  June.  There  was  at  the 
moment  an  open,  smooth  sea,  and  they  sailed 
away  joyfully  through  eighty  iniles.  Then  came 
floes,  small  and  separated  by  oj^en  spaces  of  water, 
so  that  now  they  traveled  by  alternately  dragging 
the  boats  along  the  ice,  and  launching  them  for  a 
sail. 

Parry  adopted  a  novel  method  of  dividing  the 
working  time  ;  they  slept  by  day  and  journeyed  by 
night.     By    this    arrangement    they    avoided    the 


it 


•*■  'III 
■*^  if' 


t  J 


u 


-ll 

H 

tf 

1 

-■f 

4. 

S5-J 

i 

TT 


140 


Arctic  Heroes. 


I 


.'IS    I 


'  i  ' 


f^l 


'  ' 


glare,  which  caused  a  troublesome  snow  blindness, 
and  had  the  warmest  part  of  the  twenty-four 
hours  for  sleei)ing.     It  worked  well. 

'i'hey  arose  in  the  early  evening,  attended  to 
family  prayers;  breakfasted  on  warm  cocoa  and 
biscuit,  cooked  by  a  fire  of  spirits  of  wine,  their 
only  fuel ;  changed  their  dry  sleeping  furs  and 
boots  for  the  wet  ones  of  ::he  night  before,  and 
they  were  ready  for  a  start.  They  made  it  a  point 
to  have  dry  clothes  to  sleep  in,  but  did  not  mind 
drawing  on  a  wet  or  frozen  boot  in  the  morning* 
for  if  it  was  dry,  it  was  sure  to  be  wet  soon  after 
starting.  They  stopped  at  midniglit  to  dine,  at 
daybreak  they  supped,  chatted,  said  their  prayers, 
and  went  to  sleep  to  be  awoke  by  the  sound  of  a 
bugle  in  the  evening.  They  tried  hard  to  make 
the  night  pleasant  and  successful,  and  the  day  a 
time  of  sleep. 

But  the  explorers  spent  their  strength  for  naught 
and  labored  in  vain,  for  while  //iry  were  toiling 
over  the  extended  ice-rafts  toward  the  north,  these 
rafts  were  drifting  south.  Once,  after  five  days 
of  seeming  good  progress,  the  officers  took  an 
observation  and  ascertained  that  they  had  ad- 
vanced eight  miles.  Worse  than  this,  they  some- 
times tramped  miles  northward  to  find  themselves 
farther  south  than  when  they  started.  This  was 
a  rough  joke  of  the  grim  Ice  King,  who  seemed  to 
put  his  finger  to  his  nose  and  say  with  a  ghastly 
smile:  "  Beautiful  progress  I  you  must  persevere  tc 
the  pole  !  "  But  they  did  not,  for  having  reached 
almost  to  the  eighty-third  degree  of  north  latitude 


Arctic  Rcvh'd/   ]\\)7'k. 


\4i 


— farther  in  that  direction  than  civilized  man  had 
ever  before  gone — they  turned  round.  On  the 
back  trip  they  shot  and  ate  bears,  the  rightful 
owners  of  the  soi/.  But  these  natives  were  equally 
unscrupulous;  for  the  strangers,  when  they  ar- 
rived at  Table  Island,  where  they  had  deposited 
supplies,  ascertained  that  the  white  polars  had 
eaten  all  they  wanted,  which  was  just  the  amount 
they  found.  . 

The  expedition  arrived  home  safely  in  Septem- 
ber, and  thus  ended  Sir  Edward  Parry's  arctic 
experience. 


I 


U  >  j 


W-i 


I! 


ii^ 


i'. 


; 's 


11 


142 


Arctic  Heroes. 


i 


i'' 


H-'  -■■ 


5        I; 


CHAPTini  XV. 


LOST     AN  J)     FOUND. 


W 


HILE  Parry  was  making  his  third  voyage 
in  the  north-west,  and  his  sledge  journey 
in  the  north-east,  Franklin  was  on  a  second  land 
expedition.  He  and  his  friend  Richardson  took 
the  great  Mackenzie  River  this  time,  and  sailed 
down  to  its  entrance  into  the  Polar  Sea.  Here 
they  separated,  Franklin  going  west,  hoping  to 
reach  liering  Strait,  or,  at  least,  Icy  Cape,  near 
the  dividing  line  of  the  British  and  the  Russian — 
now  the  United  States — possessions;  Richardson 
going  east  to  survey  the  coast  to  the  Coppermine. 
Lieutenant  Beechey,  in  the  mean  time,  was  sent 
in  a  ship  to  Bering  Strait,  to  work  his  way  east 
to  Icy  Cai)e  and  meet  Franklin.  The  voyager 
from  the  Mackenzie  did  not  cpiite  reach  Icy  Cape, 
but  Beechey's  boats  passed  it  and  were  within  one 
hundred  and  sixty  miles  of  Franklin  when  insur- 
mountable barriers  turneci  him  back.  The  expe- 
ditions had  essentially  the  same  incidents  as  that 
we  have  narrated,  only,  haN'ing  the  advantage  of 
their  former  experience,  and  having  at  tlie  start  a 
better  outfit,  their  sufferings  were  far  less. 

About  ten  years  had  jxissed  away,  filled  with 
many  stirring  events  relating  to  the  arctic  regions, 
since  Captain  John  Ross's  unfortunate  return  from 


I' 


i: 


Lost  and  Found. 


143 


Lancaster  Sound.     His   llicn    subordinate  officer, 
Pcirry,  liad   earned  in  llie   time,  anil  retired   upon, 
his    laurels.      Ross,    a    really    brave    commander, 
chafed  under  the    ])ublic    censure    imposed   upon 
liim.     In  fact,  it  seemed  harsh,  and  he  had  many 
sympathizing   friends.     They  desired   for   him,  as 
he  desired  for  himself,  an  opportunity  to  retrieve 
liis  reputation,      Thit  the  (Government  was  out  of 
breath  with  its  hcjt  haste  to  get  to  the  north  pole, 
lierades,    whether   their    enterprises   succeeded   or 
failed,   they   cost   great   sums    in    gold   and  silver, 
r:nd    many    lives.     So,    having    tried    Parry    and 
Franklin,  in  whom  the  nation  had  unqualified  con- 
fidence, and  who  had  done  much,  they  would  not 
trv  one  who  had  failed  where  he  mi'j-ht  ha\'e  sue- 
ceeded.     So  Ross  turned  from  the  (lo\ernn)ent  to 
a  friend;    that  friend,  in  his  mental  distress,  was 
Felix   Booth,   a  wealthy  merchant.     He  had  been 
desirous  for  some  years  to  send  Ross  to  the  arctic 
regions  on  the  resources  of  his  aniple   purse,  but 
he  woidd  not  do  it  because  the  (lovernment   had 
offered   a   hundred   tlipusand   dollars    to   any   one 
who  should  discover  the  north-west  ])assage.     He 
would  not  be  looked  upon  as  seekin,^  the  golden 
bribe   rather   than    honor    and    the    public    good. 
But  whei ,  in  1828,  the  Government  withdrew  the 
offer,  he  set  about  the  preparations  of  an  explora- 
tion.     He  laid  down  for  the  expense  eighty-five 
thousand    dollars  ;     Ross    himself    added    fifteen 
thousand  more,  and  the  material  aid  was  sup|)osed 
to  be  secured.     But  what  exijensive  a 


^ 


musements 


these  arctic  journeys  are  I     This  goodly  sum,  as 


f»t 


H' 


\] 

i  M 

\ 

1 

:',■ 

& 

k 

i^M 


M'  i 


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144 


Arctic  Hkkoes. 


we  shall  see,  purchased  the  means  of  only  a  small 
expedition. 

The  "  Victory,"  a  Liverpool  merchant-ship,  was 
bought,  and  sent  into  the  dock  to  have  her  hull 
toned  up  with  the  best  of  oak  and  iron  f(jr  the 
arctic  fight.  She  was  also  adjusted  to  a  steam- 
engine.  The  steam-engine  was  an  infant  at  this 
time  ;  it  was,  therefore,  expecting  too  much  of  it 
to  supj^ose  it  could  withstand  such  terrible  foes  as 
those  found  at  the  extreme  nortli. 

On  the  23d  of  May,  1829,  the  "Victory" 
steamed  down  the  Thames ;  but  her  engine  broke 
down,  and  she  paused  at  the  Isle  of  Alan  for  re- 
pairs. She  was  again  delayed  by  an  accident  to 
her  engineer.  A  supply-vessel,  the  "  John,"  ;i  .d 
been  employed  to  go  with  them  to  the  mouth,  or 
thereabouts,  of  Prince  Regent  Inlet,  and  having 
deposited  for  them  her  cargo  of  stores,  to  scud 
home  before  the  ice  fetters  were  thrown  around 
it.  But  these  delays  caused  her  crew  to  sec  an 
arctic  winter  as  one  of  the  contingencies  quite  too 
likely  to  happen,  and  they  flatly  refused  to  go.  So 
Ross  sailed  with  only  the  "  Victory  "  and  a  small 
cargo  of  supplies,  less  than  he  expected. 

Science  of  our  day,  with  its  ocean-steamers  of 
wonderful  capacity,  mav,  perhaps,  laugh  at  the 
"  Victory's  "  steam-engine.  When  fairly  at  sea  it 
kept  the  captain  and  other  officers  up  to  aid  the 
engineer  to  keep  its  rickety  joints  together.  The 
sailors  had  to  turn  out  at  night  to  blow  the  bellows 
to  keep  up  steam,  and  to  gather  ice  for  the  boiler. 
We  hope  Jack  didn't  siwear  profanely  at  this  new 


r 


Lost  and  Found. 


145 


mode  of  sailing  !  We  know  he  did  a  better  thing; 
at  the  welcome  orders  from  the  (luarter-deck  he 
pitched  the  troublesome  thing  into  the  sea! 

Having  reached  South  Greenland,  the  "  Victory  " 
ran  into  a  Danish  port  for  the  purchase  of  a  further 
outfit  for  arctic  winters.  They  were  soon  on 
friendly  terms  with  the  governor,  the  religious 
teacher,  and  the  Christianized  Estpiimo.  There 
was  lying  in  the  harbor  the  hull  of  a  London 
vessel  recently  wrecked.  Ross  purchased  her 
stores,  and  was  thus  fully  ])rovisioned ;  this  addi- 
tional sujjply  probably  saved  the  explorers  from 
ultimate  starvation. 

They  found  Lancaster  Sound  and  Barrow  Strait 
nearly  free  from  ice,  and  reached  thu  beach 
in  Prince  Rege;  t  Lilet,  on  which  the  wreck  of 
the  "Fury"  was  left  by  Parry;  1nit  nothing  of  it 
could  be  found.  The  tent-poles  remained,  and 
near  them  the  casks,  tightly  sealed,  of  sugar,  meat, 
flour,  cocoa,  and  other  provisions,  left  by  Parry 
nearly  four  years  before.  All  were  in  good  order, 
although  the  bears  had  left  evidence  that  they  had 
tried  upon  the  casks  the  strength  of  their  teeth 
and  paws.  Here  was  another  timely  addition  to 
their  supplies;  there  were  twenty-three  men  to  be 
fed,  and  had  they  then  known  the  length  of  time 
they  were  to  depend  upon  these  provisions,  they 
would  have  been  even  more  thankful  that  bruin's 
teeth  and  claws  had  not  opened  the  casks. 

They  found  the  navigation  favorable,  so  they 
did  not  stop  long  at  Fury  Beach,  but  cruised  south 
on  the  western  side  of  the  inlet,  passing  through 


if  ' 


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t 


k     I 


vf 


146 


Arctic  Heroes. 


I  I 
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a  strait  into  a  large  gulf  which  Ross  named  after 
his  patron,  Boothia.  Sailing  on  they  reached  its 
southern  extremity,  nearly  opposite  the  Fury  and 
llecla  .Strait,  where  Parry  had  sjjent  a  winter  during 
his  second  exi)edition.  Here  they  found  a  good 
harbor,  and  seeing  signs  of  the  rajjid  approach  of 
the  winter  prohibition  of  all  activity  of  either  ship 
ox  men,  they  ])repared  to  sj)end  the  season's  im- 
prisonment in  it.  They  first  cut  for  their  vessel  a 
canal,  so  as  to  bring  her  near  the  shore,  involving 
a  long  and  tedious  work.  'I'he  j)0wder  and  many 
of  the  stores  were  then  removed  to  a  sheltered 
place  on  the  land.  To  make  their  home  in  tiie  ship 
warm  and  dry  they  resorted  to  several  very  ingen- 
ious Yankee-like  contrivances.  Covering  their 
deck,  first  with  snow  two  and  a  half  feet  thick,  and 
stamping  it  down  until  it  became  as  solid  as  ice, 
they  then  spread  over  it  a  dry  sand  from  the  shore, 
making  something  like  a  gravel -walk.  They  then 
banked  up  with  snow  the  ship's  sides,  and  roofed 
the  deck  over  with  canvas. 

The  vapor  of  the  cabins,  instead  of  being  allowed 
to  condense,  and  thus  keep  every  thing  damp  and 
cold,  except  at  the  exj)ense  of  a  great  amount  of 
fuel  and  a  high  temperature,  was  conducted 
through  the  upper  deck  into  the  open  air  by  tubes. 
Over  the  mouth  of  these  tubes  iron-tanks  were 
placed,  the  open  side  down.  The  tanks  being  in 
an  atmosphere  averaging  many  degrees  below  zero, 
the  vapor  as  it  reached  them  froze  solid.  This 
they  cut  out  and  carried  below,  thus  not  only  keep- 
ing their  apartments  dry,  but  securing  a  supply  of 


Lost  and  Found. 


147 


frcsh-watcr  ice.  The  air  necessary  to  make  the 
fires  burn  was  brought  in  copper  tubes  directly 
to  the  fire-phice,  and  so  warmed  before  it  was  dis- 
tributed through  the  cabin.  Two  anterooms  were 
made,  the  outer  one  for  the  men's  wet  <  lothes. 

Their  supi)ly  of  provisions,  on  examination,  was 
ascertained  to  be  sufficient  for  two  years,  used 
liberally,  and  could  be  made  to  last  three  years. 
The  health  and  spirits  of  the  men  were,  therefore, 
kept  up  by  three  meals  a  day,  and  i)lenty  to  do. 

^^'ith  these  hap])y  sufficiencies  there  was  one 
fortunate  lack;  only  a  small  quantity  of  licpior  re- 
mained. Ross,  like  a  sensible  man,  though  in  this 
respect  ahead  of  his  age,  declared  on  the  spot  that 
he  believed  that  without  it  his  men  would  endure 
the  cold  better,  and  be  less  likely  to  be  attacked 
by  their  terrible  enemy,  the  scurvy.  Under  the 
counsel  of  so  good  an  adviser,  the  men  cheer- 
fully and  at  once  agreed  to  dispense  entirely  with 
their  "grog,"  and  reserve  it  for  strictly  medicinal 
purposes. 

Divine  service  was  daily  performed,  the  Sabbath 
regarded  by  the  omission  of  unnecessary  work, 
divine  service  for  all,  and  a  special  service  in  the 
evening — a  kind  of  Sunday-school — for  the  sailors. 
Every  week-day  evening  the  secular  schools  were 
in  operation. 

Thus  far  Ross'  expedition  was  a  success.  He 
had  surveyed  three  hundred  miles  of  hitherto  un- 
discovered coast,  and  reached  a  point  within  two 
hundred  and  eighty  miles  of  Franklin's  furthest 
eastern  journey  from  the  mouth  of  the  Coppermine. 


1  rn| 

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148 


Akctic  Heroes, 


As  they  had  sailed  along  the  coast  they  had  ob- 
served traces  of  Esquimo,  but  seen  none.  Whales 
had  fearlessly  played  about  the  ship,  not  yet  taught 
to  be  shy  by  the  deadly  harpoon. 

Havinaf  become  fairlv  settled,  the  men  turned 
their  attention  to  hunting.  Be:irs  and  Vv'olves 
were  not  plenty,  but  caused  o^^^.asionally  a  healthy 
excitement.  Foxes  were  more  abundant,  and 
were  sometimes  trapi)ed,  though  the  arctic  fox  has 
the  cuteness  of  his  relative  ol  warmer  climates  in 
keeping  out  of  harm's  way.  The  seal-traps  were 
more  successful ;  the  seal  oil  and  skins  proved 
very  useful,  and  so  would  their  flesh,  if  the  ex- 
plorers had  experienced  tho  extreme  hunger  of 
many  later  visitors  to  those  regions. 

Sea-fowl  were  quite  plenty  ;  one  species  of  gull, 
the  kittiwake,  attracted  special  attention  by  iis  rare 
beauty.  Its  bill  was  lemon- jolor,  its  plumage  a 
blending  of  ash,  black,  and  white,  and  its  legs 
li    d. 

Commander  James  Ross,  a  nephew  of  the  cap- 
tain, vs'ho  had  accompanied  his  uncle,  proved  an 
exp'^'it  hunter,  and,  in  fact,  every  way  an  efficient 
officer. 

In  January  a  rep  )rt  of  the  "Victory's"  cannon 
brought  to  the  explorers  a  welcome  company  of 
Esquimo.  They  were  shy  at  first,  but  on  the  ap- 
proach of 


qjt; 


>ey 


military  order,  brandishing  their  spears  and  knives. 
The  captaii  shouted  some  friendly  words  in  their 
own  language,  which  he  had  learned  elsewhere, 
and  they  immediately  sent  back  the  kind  saluta- 


Lost  and  Found. 


149 


tion.  Ross  ihrew  away  liis  gun  and  repeated  "  Aja 
tima!"  I'be  Esquimo  shouted  "Aja  tinia,"  tossed 
aside  their  spears  and  knives,  and  were  soon  on 
excellent  terms  with  the  white  taces. 

There  were  women  and  children  among  the 
visitors,  ''i'he  mothers  generally  carried  their 
babies  in  a  big  fur  hood  which  hung  from  the 
back  of  their  neck  ;  but  sometimes  they  adopted 
a  mode  of  carrying  these  household  treasures 
which  is  not  usual,  we  think,  even  with  the  Esqui- 
mo— they  tucked  them  away  in  their  boots  ! 

One  of  their  young  men  was  drawn  on  a  sledge, 
he  having  but  one  leg;  the  other  had  been  am- 
putated in  the  following  savage  way  :  'I'he  uj)per 
j)art  of  the  leg  was  first  bound  tightly  with  strips 
of  hide;  the  flesh  of  the  lower  part  was  then  cut 
off  with  the  r  dull,  cKimsy  knives,  and  the  bone 
was  slipped  into  a  hole  in  the  ice  and  snapi)ed 
off!  We  hope  the  doctor  did  not  charge  heavily 
for  this  kind  of  surgery  I  The  surgeon  of  the 
"  Victory  "  kindly  made  the  young  man  a  wooden 
leg,  on  which  he  strutted  al)Out,  with  the  most  ex- 
travagant expressions  of  delight. 

When  April  1830  came,  the  discoverers  were 
astir;  some  made  a  special  business  of  hunting, 
game  being  now  more  abundant,  and  the  necessity 
for  fresh  provisions  more  urgent ;  others  were  off 
on  exploring  excursions,  in  two  ])arties — 01  j  led 
by  Captain  Ross,  and  the  other  by  Commander 
James  Ross.  The  commander  was  the  man  of 
greater  enter])rise,  and  general  knowledge ;  he 
was  wide  awake  in  securing  scientific  as  well  as 
10 


*.. 


r 


ih 


I' 


•.» 


150 


Arctic  Heroes. 


geographical  knrnvleoge.  His  excursions  were  es- 
pecially directed  to  finding  a  j)assage  out  of  the 
gulf  where  they  were,  in  a  westerly  direction. 
But  the  most  intelligent  natives  assured  them  that 
the  only  way  into  the  sea  beyond  was  farther 
north,  meaning  through  Barrow  Strait,  already 
discovert^d  by  Parry. 

All  of  the  excursions  of  the  younger  Ross  were 
made  with  dog-sledges,  and  Ksquir.io  as  guides. 
After  having  been  out  with  them  several  times,  he 
and  the  surgeon  visited  their  camp  to  get  guides 
lor  further  exploration.  Instead  of  the  usual  friend- 
ly greeting,  the  men  met  them,  armed  with  knive'^ 
and  spears,  and  with  angry  faces.  One  old  mm 
was  especially  excited,  and  rushed  at  the  visitors 
with  his  spear,  but  was  restrained  by  his  son.  The 
women  and  children  huddled  together,  aside,  evi- 
dently expecting  a  scene,  and  the  men  formed  a 
line  abreast,  grasping  their  spears  and  knives. 
Ross  could  get  no  exjjlanation  of  this  show  of 
a  bloody  light,  and  affa-is  with  the  strangers  were 
becoming  critical.  They  had  each  a  loaded  gun, 
but  they  were  reluctant  to  shoot  down  men  who 
had  been,  up  to  this  time,  fast  and  valuable  friends, 
and  were  even  now  evidently  acting  under  some 
serious  misunderstanding.  But  to  prevent  being 
stabbed  and  overpowered,  the  officers  brought 
tlicir  gun^  to  their  shoulders  and  tlieir  fingers  to 
the  locks.  One  look  at  tlie  muzzle  of  the  guns 
WIS  happily  quite  enough  for  tlie  timid  foe. 
Tiicv,  j-robably,  had  seen  the  lightning  blazing 
Lw.;!    I'.e:;',   'uard   tlieir  thunder,  and   seen  them 


Lost  and  Found. 


151 


deal  death  to  the  wild  beasts.  They  broke  and 
ran  like  sheep.  The  women  then  approached 
with  friendly  signs,  and  Ross  succeeded  in  get- 
ting this  explanation  of  the  threatening  incident  : 
The  old  man,  whose  resentment  was  so  intense, 
had  just  lost  a  son  by  the  falling  of  a  stone 
on  his  head.  Their  medicine  man  had  attrib- 
uted the  fatal  accident  to  the  witchcraft  of  the 
white  faces;  therefore   their  braves  were  bent  on 

revenge. 

Ross    succeeded    in    restoring    confidence,  the 

frightened  men  came  l)ack,   guides   were  readily 

obtained,  and  the  explorers  went  on  their  way. 

The  excursion,  however,  proved  •-.  '^ad  one. 
Their  provisions  failed,  and  they  were  obliged  to 
kill  and  eat  seven  of  their  nine  dogs.  This  resort 
is  much  like  taking  the  wheels  from  a  carriage  for 
fuel  when  on  a  long  journey.  The  men  were 
longer  in  getting  back,  having  to  draw  the  sledges 
instead  of  riding,  and  when  at  last  they  rcncht-d 
the  ship  they  were  but  skeleton  men. 

Thus  the  sumnier  wore  away,  and  the  "  Vic- 
tory "  was  still  bound  with  ice  fetters.  August 
came,  promised  them  freedom  and  an  open  sea, 
broke  its  promise  and  departed.  September 
stepped  forward  with  i/iiitini^  sunbeams,  loosened 
the  bands  of  the  im])risoned  shij),  and  she  sailed 
joyously  from  Felix  Harbor,  where  she  had  spent 
eleven  months  ;  but  the  breezes  had  only  well 
filled  the  sails,  and  her  |)row  felt  its  renewed 
power  to  cut  through  the  waves,  when  she  struck 
a  rock !      In  breathless  suspense  all   awaited  the 


i> 


H 


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iPT 


152 


Arctic  Heroes. 


result,  when  she  swung  off  and  started  again,  but 
only  to  ground  in  the  sand,  where  she  seemed  in- 
clined to  stay.  Quickly  as  possible  she  was  light- 
ened l)v  removing  the  stores  to  the  shore.  With 
deep  anx''^ty  they  watched  the  effect  of  the  re- 
turning tide ;  and  when  it  was  shouted,  "  She 
floats  I   she  floats  !  "  every  heart  bounded  for  joy. 

With  all  sails  spread,  they  sailed  away — four 
miles,  and,  night  coming  on.  Captain  Ross  fastened 
his  sliip  to  an  iceberg,  as  if  he  had  not  been  ice- 
bound enough,  and  w:  ted  for  the  morning.  The 
morning  came,  but  not  the  sailing ;  they  were 
once  more  held  firmly  in  the  grip  of  the  Ice  King. 
Many  laljorious  days  were  s[)ent  in  sawing  the 
thick,  firm  ice,  and  warping  the  ship  through  the 
canal  thus  made;  when  reaching  a  comparatively 
sheltered  place  near  their  old  quarters,  they  spent 
anothe.   .vinter. 

Tlie  only  noticeable  incident  of  this  winter  was 
the  discovery  by  the  scientific,  younger  Ross,  of 
the  long-sC'Ught  "  Western  Magnetic  Pole  " — a 
spot  where  the  needle  of  the  compass  dipped  and 
stood  still.  The  discoverer  was  in  ecstasies,  and 
thus  records  his  feelings  :  "  1  leave  my  readers  to 
imagine  my  transj)orts  ;  all  my  perils  and  fatigues 
were  forgotten,  and  I  felt  as  if  1  had  nothing  to  do 
but  to  go  home  and  be  haj)})y  for  the  rest  of  my 
days." 

'i'he  explorers  built  as  good  a  monument  to 
mark  the  spot  as  the  circumstances  allowed,  put- 
ting a  sealed  canister  beneath  it  containing  docu- 
ments  relating   to  the  discovery.     Their  fci/ini^s 


Lost  and  Found. 


153 


prompted  tliem  to  build  a  monument  over  it  as 
high  as  an  Egyi)tian  jn'ramid.  Hut,  after  all,  later 
science  has  shown  that  this  discovery  was  of  no 
practical  value. 

The  second  winter  passed  and  the  third  sum- 
mer came,  bringing  great  labor,  much  suffering 
from  cold,  and  insufficient  food,  and  constant 
"  ho])e  deferred."  \\'hen  in  August  they  were 
under  sail  again,  they  made,  as  during  the  preced- 
ing year,  a  few  miles  only,  and  then  were  again 
frozen  tight  for  a  third  winter.  Three  weeks  of 
navigation  in  a  year,  and  a  progress  of  four  miles, 
they  wisely  concluded  would  not  pay,  so  they  de- 
cided to  take  to  the  boats  and  sledges  and  make 
their  escape  the  quickest  and  easiest  way  possible 
as  soon  as  the  third  winter  should  be  ended. 
Therefore  when  April,  1832,  arrived,  they  began 
to  move  out  of  the  "  Victory  "  toward  Fury  lieach, 
a  distance  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles  in  a 
direct  line,  and  three  hundred  by  the  windings. 
The  goods  they  needed  to  carry  being  many  and 
heavy,  and  their  strength  small,  they  took  light 
loads,  carried  them  a  short  distance  and  then  set 
them  down  to  return  for  more,  thus  going  over  the 
s.?me  ground  two  or  three  times  a  day.  The  first 
month  they  made  thirty  miles  in  a  direct  line,  but 
had  traveled,  incluaing  the  repeated  journeys  and 
the  windings  to  avoid  hummocks,  three  hundred 
and  twenty-nine  miles.  During  this  m(jnth  ter- 
rific storms  of  wind  had  hurled  the  sleet  into  their 
faces  and  piled  the  snow  in  their  path. 

They  now  made  their  last  journey  to  the  ship, 


in 


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Arctic  Heroes. 


nailed  her  colors  to  the  mast,  and  bade  her 
farewell. 

When  they  reached  a  point  near  enough  to 
Fury  Beach,  where,  it  will  be  recollected.  Parry's 
sliij)  "  l'"ury  "  had  been  wrecked,  and  where  there 
was  now  a  dei)Osit  of  boats  and  provisions,  the  main 
party  halted,  built  a  temporary  shelter,  and  rested. 
Commander  Ross  soon  pressed  on,  with  a  few 
picked  men,  to  Fury  Beach,  to  examine  the  con- 
dition of  things  and  to  return.  The  captain 
moved  forward  with  the  main  body  more  slowly ; 
young  Ross  meeting  them  on  his  return  with  the 
good  re])ort  that  the  store  of  provisions  were  in 
good  order,  and,  though  some  of  the  boats  had 
been  washed  away,  enough  remained  for  their  pur- 
pose, (^n  the  first  of  July  the  whole  party  reached 
Fury  Beach.  Having  now  access  to  a  larger  stock 
of  })rovisions,  they  ate  hearty  meals,  rested,  and  re- 
cruited. They  called  their  canvas-mansion  Somer- 
set House. 

Having  spent  a  month  at  this  jjlacc,  getting 
ready  to  man  the  beats  for  further  progress  to 
Baffin  Bay  through  Barrow  Strait,  they  bid  adieu, 
as  thev  hoDed,  to  the  Somerset  House.  But  they 
i\]   into  Jkarrow  Strait  when 


only  got 


■y 


driven  back  to  the  Somerset  House  to  spend  yet 


another  winter. 


This  fourth  winter,  amid  arctic 


darkness,  cold,  and  short  i)rovisions,  was  the  most 
fearful  of  all  ;   but  yet  only  one  man  died. 

All  felt,  when  the  next  traveling  season  arrived^ 
that  they  must  reach  the  waters  of  the  whalers  and 
be  rescued  by  them,  or  perish.     With  this  feeling 


i/  . 


Lost  and  Found. 


155 


th'^v  had.  l)y  incredible  lal)or  and  endurance,  got 
out  of  Regent  Inlet  once  more,  j)assed  Cajje  \'ork, 
wound  along  the  water  lanes  in  the  ice  until  they 
had  reached  Navy  Board  Inlet,  which  we  may 
find  on  the  map,  about  half  way  between  Cape 
York  and  Baffin  Bay.  They  drew  their  boats  to 
land,  pitched  a  tent,  ate  their  supper,  went  through 
with  the  Divine  service,  in  which,  we  doubt  not, 
they  introduced  the  prayer:  "Lord,  preserve  our 
lives,  and  bring  us  again  to  our  homes  and  friends." 
At  four  in  the  morning  the  watch  startled  all  by 
the  thrilling  shout,  "  A  sail !  a  sail !  " 

The  boaiswere  manned,  and  with  all  of  their  little 
strength,  now  stimulated  to  almost  desperate  exer- 
tions, they  rowed  out  to  sea,  making  every  possible 
signal  to  attract  attention.  But  the  ship  kept  on 
her  course,  not  seeing  them,  and  was  soon  out  of 
sight.  A  sullen  despair,  which  ])recedes  the  fatal 
crisis,  was  settling  down  upon  the  crew,  when 
Captain  Ross  shouted,  what  he  scarcely  dared  be- 
lieve, "  Another  sail  I  "  After  a  little  pause,  and 
almost  breathless  suspense,  he  added:  "Yes,  she 
bears  down  upon  us ;  we  are  seen  !  "  and  "  we  are 
saved!  "  was  soon  added  a^  the  sail  drew  nearer. 
The  wind  subsiding,  the  ship  lowered  her  boat, 
commanded  by  her  mate.  As  he  approached  Ross 
he  said  inquiringly  : — 

"  \'ou  have  lost  your  ship,  sir  ?  " 

"  Yes,  we  beg  you  v-ould  take  us  in.  What  is 
the  name  of  yoi^r  vessel  .'  " 

"  The  '  Isabella,'  once  commanded  by  Captain 
Ross." 


'Mf 


\  %  T 


1^ 


I 


156 


Arc'I'ic   IIkroks. 


M 


Hi 


ji- 1' 


Hf. 


'*  I  am  that  Ca])tain  Ross,  and  these  men  are. the 
crew  of  tlie  '  \'iclory.'  " 

"  Ini])Ossil)le  !  "  was  the  (jiiick  reply.  "  Captairi 
Ross  has  hccn  dead  these  two  years!  " 

ISiit  Ross  was  satisfied  that  lie  had  the  best  in- 
formation on  this  point,  aiid  it  was  not  difficult  to 
satisfy  tlie  nuitc  and  his  captain  of  the  fact. 

When  tlie  facts  were  known  on  hoard  the 
"  Isabella  "  she  received  her  old  commander  with 
a  tumult  of  joy.  \\'hen  all  were  on  board  there 
followed  a  scene,  says  Captain  Ross,  so  ludicrous 
that  it  drove  for  the  moment  all  serious  thoui^hts 
away.  All  were  in  a  frame  of  mind  to  Ije  amused  : 
"  Every  man  was  hungry  and  was  to  be  fed  ;  all 
were  ra'j:u;ed  and  were  to  be  clothed;  there 
was  not  one  to  whom  w;ishing  was  not  indispens- 
able, nor  one  whose  beard  did  not  deprive  him  of 
all  human  semblance.  All  was  to  be  done  at  once  : 
it  was  shaving,  washing,  dressing,  eating,  all  inter- 
mingled ;  it  was  all  the  materials  of  each  jumbled 
together,  while  in  the  midst  of  all  there  were  in- 
terminable (juestions  to  be  asked  and  answered  on 
both  sides — the  adventures  of  the  'Victory,'  our 
own  escapes,  the  politics  of  England,  and  the  news, 
now  to  us  four  years  old." 

But  night  came,  and  all  was  comparatively  quiet. 
The  sick  had  been  cared  for,  the  hungry  fed,  the 
ragged  clothed,  the  unwashed  cleansed,  and,  of 
course,  all — and  they  were  many — of  the  despond- 
ing among  the  explorers  comforted.  The  rescued 
tried  to  sleep,  but  the  beds  were  too  warm  and 
comfortable,     Ross  says  of  himself  that  he  had  to 


o 


fD 

O 

C 

a 


le 


ill 


Lo 


ic 

th 
re 

.IS 

ts 


11 


re 


HI 


ir 


le 
)f 
i- 


to 


XI 


73 


Lost  and  Found. 


'59 


leave  his  berth  for  a  liardcr  place  before  he  could 
sleep. 

The  explorers  arrived  in  London  on  the  iQlh 
of  October,  1833,  havini:;  l)een  absent  four  years. 
Honors  and  emoluments  were  ])lentif'ally  bestowed 
upon  them.  The  officers  were  promoted,  Cai)tain 
Ross  receiving  a  "  knij^iithood,"  and  his  ne])hew  a 
captaincy ;  the  sailors  received  double  pay,  and 
the  Parliament,  the  next  year,  returned  to  Ross  his 
fifteen  thousand  dollars,  with  an  addition  of  ten 
thousand — the  goodly  sum  of  twenty-five  thousand. 
His  patron,  Felix  Boot.\  they  made  Sir  Felix. 

The  shout  of  the  nation  seemed  to  be,  The  lost 
is  found  !  and  they  killed  the  fatted  calf. 


'I 


f     * 


I 


I 


:'ff!s 


t 


nI 


■:i{ 


'4% 


n 


\  \ 


\  '!• 


• 


1 60 


Arctic  Heroics. 


CHAPTER    XVI. 

DOWN   THE   GREAT   FISH   RIVER. 

^"r^IHi^  long  absence  of  Caj)!.  Ross  excited  great 
X  alarm  in  England,  'rhoiigh  his  expedition 
was  one  of  private  enterprise,  and  he  had  not  been 
a  favorite  of  the  masses  as  an  explorer,  yet  now 
that  he  was  believed  to  be  a  suffering  prisoner  in 
the  arctic  ice,  or  already,  with  his  men,  a  victim 
of  cold  and  starvation,  great  and  universal  sympathy 
was  felt.  Men  in  high  places  of  authority  and  in- 
fluence began  to  talk,  in  1832,  of  sending  an  expe- 
dition in  search  of  him.  The  government  finally 
determined  to  do  it.  When  liack,  who  was  in 
Italy  at  the  time,  heard  of  this  decision,  he 
hastened  home  and  was  accepted  as  its  commander. 
He  will  be  recollected  by  the  reader  as  a  hero  in 
the  two  land  exi)editions  of  Franklin.  He  was 
now  expected  to  go  over  a  ]jart  of  the  routes  of 
those  journeys,  reach  the  Polar  Sea  through  the 
Great  Slave  Lake  and  the  Great  Fish  River,  then 
work  his  way  east  toward  Prince  Regent  Inlet, 
over  unknown  land  and  waters,  in  hoi)e  to  meet 
Ross  or  learn  his  fate.  Such  a  journey  was  easily 
marked  out  on  ])aper,  and  was  very  nice  to  talk 
about  in  the  comfortable  parlors  of  the  great  men. 
It  was  just  the  enterprise,  too,  to  inspire  the  en- 
thusiasm of  the  daring,  skillful,  and  persistent  Back. 


Dozen  the  Gnat  Fish  Rircr. 


i6i 


He  left  F^n^land  February,  18^5,^,  with  Dr.  Kin.u;, 
who  went  as  surj^'eon  and  naturalist,  'i'hey  were 
honored  and  cheered  forward  as  they  passed 
through  New  York  city,  and  sailed,  u])  tlie  Hudson 
to  Albany.  At  Montreal  they  added  to  their  com- 
pany Canadians,  four  volunteers  from  the  artillery 
service,  and  an  old  Indian  boat-manager  and  guide 
by  the  name  of  Paul. 

In  two  canoes,  Paul  guiding  the  leading  one, 
they  shot  down  the  St.  Lawrence  to  the  Ottawa, 
and  then  ascended  that  river  in  a  north-westerly 
dnection.  'J'here  were  many  water-falls  and  rapids 
for  them  to  pass,  some  enchantingly  beautiful, others 
imj)ressively  grand,  but  all  imposing  exhausting 
labor  upon  the  explorers.  The  canoes  and  their 
freight  had  to  be  carried  overland  round  these  de- 
scending waters,  the  goods  often  in  little  parcels, 
ar'l  so  in  fretpient  return  trips,  and  the  canoes  lifted 
up  ^,  recipitous  rocks  and  through  tangled  forests. 

These  water-falls  are  about  as  troublesome  to 
the  voyagers  in  descending  the  rivers  as  in  ascend- 
ing, and  much  more  dangerous.  Back  tells  the 
following  story  of  the  experience  of  some  Indian 
acquaintance  which  illustrates  this  danger  :  A  party 
were  approaching  a  landing-place  from  which  they 
were  to  carry  the  canoe  round  a  grand  cataract. 
In  order  to  reach  the  landing  they  were  obliged  to 
go  round  a  point  of  land  which  extended  into  the 
rapids,  a  short  distance  only  from  the  edge  of  the 
falls.  A  strong  oarsman  stood  in  tlie  bow  ;  another, 
erect  also  and  watchful,  stood  in  the  stern.  They 
reached  the  point,  fearlessly  struck  out  into  the 


\ 


• 


•n  ; 

^T^ 


^^mmmmmf^mm.'m 


'    % 


162 


Arctic  Heroes. 


1,1' 


!'■   > 


rushing  current,  and  witli  a  few  vigorous  strokes, 
which  threw  the  si)ray  high  over  tlieir  heads,  came 
round  under  the  lee  of  tlie  land.  The  sheltered 
landing  was  nearly  reached,  tlie  danger  seemed 
])ast,  and  tiie  oarsmen  relaxed  tlieir  vigilance. 
Suddenly  an  eddy  swung  the  prow  of  the  canoe 
round  and  it  darted  out  into  the  current.  Swift  as 
an  arrow,  it  shot  toward  the  cataract  until  it  seemed 
to  hang  over  its  very  edge.  But  the  Indians,  ex- 
perienced in  this  kind  of  peril,  were  masters  of  the 
situation.  They  struck  their  paddles  deep  into 
the  water,  and  with  the  desperate  strength  of  men 
working  for  life  they  brought  the  canoe  to  a  stand, 
ami  inch  by  inch  moved  off  until  the  quiet  waters 
of  the  landing  were  reached.  They  then  landed 
on  shore,  drew  up  their  canoe,  threw  themselves 
on  the  grass  to  rest,  grunted  their  satisfaction,  and 
cherished  the  recollection  of  the  incident  to  relate 
around  their  camp-fires. 

But  the  perils  of  the  risers  were  not  the  only 
ones  our  explorers  encountered.  Their  comfort 
was  often  destroyed  and  their  lives  put  in  jeopardy 
by  myriads  of  sand-flies.  They  covered  every 
exposed  part  of  their  persons  with  blood- thirsty 
rai)acity.  To  brush  them  off  was  only  to  remove 
those  which  were  already  gorged,  or  in  part  filled, 
for  those  with  keener  a])petites.  For  every  one 
killed,  thousands  came  to  avenge  his  doath.  It 
was  a  conflirt  waged  by  the  explorcis  in  which 
they  were  su**'.^  to  be  beaten.  The  Indians  threw 
thems^elves  on  tlie  ground,  and  fairly  roared  with 
anguish.     Back  adds  : — • 


4' 


Jil 


^r 


Doivn  the  Great  Fish  River. 


163 


"As  we  marched  into  the  confined  and  suffocat- 
ing chasms,  or  \\aded  through  the  cUdsc  swamps, 
they  rose  in  clouds,  actually  darkening  the  air. 
To  see  or  to  si)eak  was  equally  difticult,  for  they 
rushed  at  every  undefended  i)art,  and  fixed  their 
poisonous  fangs  in  an  instant.  Our  faces  streamed 
with  blood,  as  if  leeches  had  been  applied,  and 
there  was  a  burning  and  irritating  pain,  followed 
by  immediate  inflammation,  j)ro(lucing  giddiness, 
which  almost  drove  us  m.iil,  and  caused  us  to 
moan  with   lain  and  agony." 

Some  o^  the  Indians  seemed  to  regard  these 
tormento's  wirh  superstitious  reverence.  When 
Back  at  one  time  endeavored  to  smoke  them  out, 
an  old  Indian  shook  his  liead.  "  Had,"  he  mut- 
tered, "very  bad!  'I'he  great  white  chief" — re- 
ferring to  Fra.iklin — "did  not  do  so.  He  never 
killed  a  fly." 

"This,"  says  Back,  "  was  true  of  Franklin.  He 
(juietly  1)1l\v  the  gorged  insects  from  his  hands, 
saying,  '  The   world   'S    wide   enough   for  1)oth  of 

The  first  most  important  stopping-place  was 
Fort  Chipeway,  on  the  Athabasca  Lake,  where 
the  reader  has  been  several  times  with  {''rank  1  in 
and  others.  This  is  distant  from  M(»ntrcal  at 
least  two  thousand  miles,  the  way  they  had  trav- 
eled. It  was  now  the  middle  of  July,  and  they 
desired  to  push  on,  if  j^ossible,  as  far  as  the  (Ireat 
F'ish  River,  flowing,  as  they  believed,  out  (;f  the 
Great  Slave  Lake  into  the  sea.  Their  nunibt-r 
liad  been    increased,  just  before  arriving   at    l'\trl 


ii!'    vn 


.:.,       I 


«'l;' 


•*.     \\ 


p^ 


99! 


Ul 


164 


Arctic  Heroes. 


1^ 


;  4 


I'- 
ll; 


«4 


Chipeway,  by  a  Mr.  M'Leod,  an  old  employi*  of 
tlie  Hudson  I5ay  Company,  who  brought  along 
his  wife  and  three  children.  A  fine  romantic 
journey  for  women  and  boys  and  girls  did  this 
i.xploring  expedition  afford!  It  was  after  their 
manner  o^  life,  so  we  do  not  hear  that  they  either 
loitered  behind  or  fainted  bv  the  wav. 

Before  starting  from  this  point  let  us  look  at 
the  company  Back  had  gathered  about  him,  and 
at  their  "fixings."  He  says:  "At  my  feet  was  a 
rolled  bundle  in  oil  cloth  containing  three  blank- 
ets, called  a  bed;  near  it  a  piece  of  dried  buffalo, 
fancifully  ornamented  with  long  black  hairs,  which, 
alas  I  no  art  can  prevent  from  insinuating  them- 
selves between  the  teeth  as  you  laboriously  masti- 
cate the  tough,  hard  flesh  ;  then  a  tolerably  clean 
napkin,  spread,  by  way  of  a  table-cloth,  on  a  red 
piece  of  canvas,  aiid  sui)porting  a  tea-pot,  some 
biscuits,  and  a  salt-cellar;  near  this  a  tin  plate; 
close  by  a  square  kind  of  a  box  or  safe  of  the 
same  material,  rich  witli  a  pale,  greasy  hair,  the 
produce  of  the  colony  at  Red  River;  and  the 
last,  the  far  renowned /<^v///y//Vr^//,  the  best  food  of 
the  country  for  expeditions  such  as  ours.  Behind 
me  were  two  boxes  containing  astronomical  instru- 
ments, and  a  sextant  lying  on  the  ground  by  a 
washing  apparatus,  a  gun,  an  Indian  shot-pouch, 
bags,  basins,  and  an  unhajjpy-looking  ja])anned 
pot,  whose  sad  bumps  seemed  to  reproach  mc 
for  many  a  bruise  endured  upon  the  rocks  and 
portages. 

"  My  crew  were  not  less  motley  than  the  tent. 


'I! 


Doivn  the  Great  Fish  River. 


165 


It  consisted  of  Englishmen,  Canadians,  two  mctifs 
or  half-breeds,  and  three  Iroquois  Indians.  Isabel 
could  not  produce  a  worse  confusion  of  inhar- 
monious sounds." 

Having  arrived  at  Fort  Resolution,  just  south 
of  the  Great  Slave  Lake,  Back  took  four  of  his 
crew  to  press  on  to  the  Great  Fish  River,  while 
M'Leod  came  on  with  the  rest,  to  some  point  on 
the  north-east  side  of  the  lake,  where  he  was  to 
prepare  winter-quarters. 

Back  was  successful  in  finding  the  outlet  of  the 
river  from  the  lake,  and  sailed  a  few  days  on  its 
waters.  This  (rreat  Fish  River  now  bears  Back's 
own  name.  He  was  delighted  with  his  success 
thus  far.  He  seemed  to  see  a  tiiumphant  vovage 
on  its  waters  to  the  sea  when.,  in  the  spring,  he 
should  renew  his  explorations.  With  these  feel- 
ings he  turned  back  to  Fort  Reliance,  as  he  i  ailed 
the  spot  where  M'Leod  had  prepared  winter-tpiar- 
ters. 

Here  he  found  not  only  his  own  company,  but  a 
starving  troop  of  Indians  who  had  come  to  hang 
about  the  camj)  and  live  ujjon  ils  charity.  He 
generously  bade  them  welcome,  though  he  feared 
a  short  supply  of  food  ere  he  reached  the  sea. 

One  day  Back  was  taking  some  observations 
with  his  astronomical  instruments.  Several  of  the 
Indians  looked  on  with  pu/zled  and  anxious  ex- 
pressions of  face,  while  they  exchanged  signifi- 
cant glances  at  each  other,  or  muttered  aside  in 
low  tones.  They  were  evidently  discussing  the 
question  of  the  probable   use  of  the  instruments. 


If 


.1 

! 


( 


\  \ 


.1      A 


(■  » 
hi 


H' 


1 66 


Arctic  Heroes. 


,'  \ 


At  last  ihey  arrived  at  a  conclusion  quite  satis- 
factory to  themselves,  but  dangerous  to  the  white 
stranger.  The  instruments  were,  they  said,  to 
raise  the  devil  with,  and  they  were,  no  doubt, 
the  cause  of  the  famine.  Re\  :nge,  for  such  a 
calamity,  was  next  in  order  in  an  Indian's  mind. 
So  Back's  generous  gifts  of  food  came,  in  good 
time,  to  conciliate  the  fighting  men. 

The  cloud  which  this  condition  of  thirgs  gath- 
ered was  silver-lined  by  tlie  coming  of  Back's 
old  friend,  the  chief  Akaitcho.  He  led  off  in 
successful  hunts.  He  scorned  the  suspicions 
which  the  instruments  had  inspired  in  his  follow- 
ers, and,  in  addressing  lUck,  said  :  '*  The  great 
chief  trusts  us,  and  it  is  better  that  ten  Indians 
perish  than  that  one  white  man  perish  through  our 
negligence  and  breach  of  faith." 

As  the  winter  progressed,  the  cold,  the  stinted 
supi)ly  of  food,  and  the  desolation  which  every- 
where prevailed,  excited  in  the  exjjlorers  a  feeling 
•of  despondency.  Even  Back  confesses  that  in 
spite  of  himself  he  at  times  felt  his  customary 
resolution  falter. 

Such  was  the  state  of  heart  at  the  camp  April 
23,  made  specially  burdensome  by  a  rumor  that  a 
favorite  interpreter  and  guide  of  Back's  forme- 
voyages  had  perished  of  hunger  and  cold  in  an 
attempt  to  visit  him.  While  all  were  under  these 
depressions  a  knock  was  heard  at  their  cabin- 
door.  Without  waiting  for  the  knock  to  be  an- 
swered the  stranger  walked  in  and  thrust  a  dis- 
patch into  the  captain's  hands,  saying  : — 


Down  the  Great  Fish  River. 


167 


K 


(( 


He  returned,  sir!  " 

What  I  Augustus  ?"  exclaimed  Back,    "Thank 


God !  " 

*' Not  Augustus,  Captain  Ross,  sir;  Captain 
Ross  has  returned  !  " 

The  news  seemed  too  good  to  be  true.  But 
the  dispatches  told  the  story ;  they  contained 
extracts  from  English  i)apers  affirming  the  joyous 
fact.  Captain  Back  says;  ''In  the  fullness  of  our 
hearts  we  assembled  together  and  humbly  offered 
up  our  thanks  to  God  fur  so  wonderful  a  preserva- 
tion. 

The  day  was  spent  as  a  festival,  and  the  gloom 
which  had  rested  upon  the  camp  was  dissipated. 
Among  the  Indians  who  enlivened  the  camp 
by  their  presence  was  "Green  Stockings,"  the 
"beauty"  of  her  tribe,  whom  the  reader  may  rec- 
ollect as  appearing  in  Franklin's  narrative.  She 
was  now  accompanied  by  a  group  of  children, 
one,  a  babe,  hiding  away  in  her  hood.  When  she 
was  accosted  by  the  pet  name  of  her  younger 
days  she  smiled,  shook  her  head,  and  remarked, 


I  am   an   old  woman   no 


w."     But   she  was   evi- 
dently pleased  to  have  Back  sketch  her  portrait. 

In  June  the  explorers  started  for  Great  Fish 
River.  Though  the  search  for  Ross  was  happily 
ended,  the  captain  desired  to  add  something  to 
the  world's  knowledge  of  the  shores  of  the  Polar 
Sea.  A  boat  thirty  feet  long  had  been  built. 
This  they  put  on  runners,  fur  it  was  a  long  jour- 
ney to  the  Fish  River,  through  swamps  and  over 
lakes  ye'  fro/en.  They  reached  it  safely  on  the 
11 


\ 

i!. 

% 

: 


"r    T 


'■  >. 


am 


I  - 


11 

'I 


1 68 


Arctic  Hkroes. 


w 


A-. 


I  'f 


m 


28th     of    June.       Here     their     valuable     friends, 
IM'Leodand   Akaitcho,  bitl   them    farewell.     The 
chief  si)oke  desijondingly  of  their  enterprise.     He 
said  :    "  Indian   don't    know    this  river,  and   can't 
help  you   if  you   get   into  trouble.     Ksciuimo  live 
by  the   shore   and  will   say,   '  l*eace,   peace,'   and 
strike  you  in  the  dark,     I  am  afraid  Akaitcho  will 
never  see  the   great  chief  again  !  "     Thus  warned 
Back   started,   a  company  of   ten   persons   in   all 
composing  the  expedition,   and  floated  down   the 
rive.;.     It  proved  to  be  a  river  extremely  winding, 
full  of  rapids,  whose   rushing  waters  were  thrown 
into  sheets  of    foam  by  the  numerous   bowlders, 
and    cataracts    whose    roar    was    at    times    heard 
several   miles  away.     Its  banks  through  its  entire 
length,   five  hundred  miles,  were   without  a  tree. 
Every-where   nature   seemed  to  have   written   the 
warning    words,    Alan    is    not    invited    into    these 
regions  !     T-ul  the  explorers  sailed  on  without  the 
invitation,  a^id  in  spite  of  the  warning. 

The  half-breeds  of  the  company  were  able 
canoe-men.  They  were  born  and  trained  in  the 
midst  (;f  such  wild  scenes.  Back  says  of  one  n( 
them  :— 

"  He  ran  our  rickety  and  shattered  canoe  down 
four  successive  rapids,  which,  but  for  his  skill, 
would  have  whirled  it  and  every  body  in  it  to 
certain  destruction.  Nothing  could  exceed  the 
self-possession  and  good  judgment  with  which  he 
guided  the  frail  thing  along  the  narrow  line  be- 
tween the  high  waves  of  the  torrent  and  the  re- 
turning  eddy.     A   foot   in  either  direction  would 


Down  the  Great  Fish  River. 


169 


have  been  fatal ;  l)ut  with  the  most  perfect  ease, 
and,  1  uuiy  add,  elegance  and  grace  of  action,  his 
keen  eye  fixed  iii)on  the  /v/;/,  he  kept  her  true  to 
her  course  through  all  its  ra])i(]  windings." 

At  another  time  they  passed  five  rapids  in  a  dis- 
tance of  three  miles.  They  had  scarcely  taken 
breath  on  smoother  sailing,  before  they  were  con- 
fronted by  the  most  ai)palling  one  they  had  yet 
met  with.     The  water,  hemmed  in  by  walls  of  ice, 


rushed   ihrouuh  a  narrow  bed  full  of  rock? 


'X\m 


Capt 


lin  and  Mr.  King  stepped  ashore  and  moun 


ted 


the  high  bank,  while  the  half-breeds  undertook 
the  perilous  voyage.  Mr.  King  was  farther  down 
the  stream  than  Back,  and  both  were  watching, 
with  intense  anxiety,  the  experiment.  The  lives 
of  those  ashore,  as  well  as  those  in  the  canoe, 
were  staked  on  its  success.  It  shot  safely,  passed 
the  captain,  and  was  hid  from  his  sight  below 
Dr.  King.  The  captain  just  then  heard  what 
sounded  to  his  excited  mind  as  a  wild  shriek  !  He 
saw  King  throw  up  his  gun  at  the  same  time  and 
rush  forward.  With  an  agitation  more  intense 
than  he  often  felt,  he  followed  the  doctor.  Having 
reached  a  point  from  which  he  could  look  beyond 
the  rai)id,  he  was  relieved  and  gladdened  by  the 
sight  of  the  bout  in  a  quiet  bay,  and  the  crew 
safely  landed.  It  was  their  wild  whoop  of  triumph 
that  he  had  heard. 

On  the  29th  of  July  they  came  in  sight  of  the 
highlands  at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  were  soon 
on  the    shores   of  the    chilling,  frowning   Arctic 


'■\: 


'f: 


jlji 


I 


I 

i. 


il 


Sea.      Less  than  two   weeks'  experience   taught 


■tl!  ;i 


i: 


ill 

''  1 
1 1 


'I 


"j'  i 


170 


Arctic  Heroes. 


them  the  impossibility  of  unvaiiing  the  secrets  of 
its  shores.  On  the  sen,  successive  masses  of 
broken  ice  barred  their  progress.  ( )n  land,  they 
sunk  knee  deep  in  a  slush  of  i(  e  and  snow.  I'or 
ten  days  they  had  not  a  sjjark  of  fire,  and,  of 
course,  neither  warm  food  nor  dry  garments. 
Back,  being  a  sensible  as  well  as  a  brave  man, 
wisely  turned  his  face  homeward.  He  had  found 
the  river,  during  his  five  hundred  miles'  voyage, 
expanding  into  five  large  lakes,  rushing  through 
rapids  and  pouring  down  cataracts,  eighty-three 
in  all.  In  the  return  trip  these  eighty-three  de- 
scents in  the  river  were  to  be  {)assed  by  "  port- 
ages," that  is,  by  carrying  on  land  the  boat  and 
its  freight,  often  lifting  both  up  craggy  precipices. 
The  voyage  would  have  terrified  many  explorers 
into  imbecility  and  failure.  Lack  and  his  men 
accomplished  it  safely. 

In  September  they  went  into  winter-quarters  at 
the  old  home  at  Fort  Reliance,  on  Slave  Lake. 
Here  he  found  M'Leod  and  the  faithful  Akaitcho, 
who  had  made  some  most  welcome  preparations 
for  their  coming.  Here,  again,  the  hunt  was  be- 
gun, the  schools  put  in  operation,  the  Sabbath 
service  observed,  and  the  winter  made  as  swift- 
footed  as  was  possible  to  the  slow-moving  arctic 
months.  It  was  the  old  experience  of  long,  dark 
nights,  cold,  and  dreariness. 

Back  arrived  in  England  in  September,  1835, 
having  been  absent  a  little  more  than  two  years 
and  seven  months. 

He  had  not  seen  the  North  Pole,  but  his  men 


!' 


Down  the  Great  Fish  River. 


171 


had  picked  up  on  the  shore  of  tlu-  Polar  Sea  a 
piece  of  drift-wood  nine  feet  long,  which  they  de- 
clared was  a  part  of  it.  This  may  have  satisfied 
the  ambition  of  the  ''  rank  and  fde  "  in  respect  to 
arctic  discovery,  considering  how  much  of  ])eril 
and  suffering  it  cost,  but  it  did  not  satisfy  their 
leader.  The  ne.xt  year,  1836,  he  was  off  again  in 
the  shi])  "  Terror."  This  time  he  was  to  take 
Parry's  route  thrcnigh  Hudson  Strait  to  Fury  and 
Hecla  Strait,  examine  the  lower  part  of  Prince 
Regent  Inlet,  enter  Re])ulse  Bay,  and  by  sledges 
or  shii)s,  or  by  both  boats  and  sledges,  hnd  his 
way  to  the  coast  of  the  Polar  Sea,  whi(  li  he  left 
about  eighteen  months  before.  Said  those  who 
sent  him  :  "You  can  easily  do  this  in  one  season, 
and  so  escape  the  arctic  winter."  A  nice  little 
plan  !  The  scientific  gentlemen  at  home  would 
have  done  well,  may  be,  at  trying  their  hand  at  its 
execution. 

The  first  thing  King  Ice  did,  even  before  the 
"  Terror  "  reached  Fury  and  Hecla  Strait,  was  to 
frown  upon  it  from  a  l)erg  three  hundred  feet 
high  ;  he  then  gave  it  a  terrific  shaking  up  in  '*  a 
nip  "  between  huge  masses  of  ice.  He  next  caught 
the  shi})  in  an  icy  cradle,  gathered  around  her  an 
immense  floe,  and  rocked  her  al)out  four  months 
at  will.  No  quiet  rest  for  the  winter  in  a  chosen 
harbor  was  allowed.  He  toyed  with  her  through 
the  long  season,  from  September  to  the  summer 
of  the  next  year,  with  malicious  humor ;  now 
opening  the  floe  and  letting  her  down  into  the  clear 
sea,  then  boxing  her  on  one  side  with  a  crystal 


I'     M 


..' 


1 


n 


t 


i  ' 


;t' 


w 


.:i 


172 


Arctic  Hicroes. 


block,  "like  the  side  of  a  house,"  and  giving  her 
a  buffet  on  the  other  by  "  a  huge  wave  of  hum- 
mocks." To  vary  the  sjjort  two  floes  were  oc- 
casi(jnally  brought  together,  giving  her  agonizing 
"  nii)s."*  I'inally,  the  "  Terror,"  thoroughly  ter- 
rified, was  dismissed,  the  latter  part  of  the  summer 
of  I-S37,  from  his  Ice  Majesty's  dominions,  crippled 
and  crestfallen.  The  profits  of  the  expedition 
were  a  zero.  But  liack  had  done  all  that  skill  and 
courage  could  do,  and  he  was  rewarded  by  being 
made  Sir  George  Back.  He  then  rested  from 
arctic  labors. 

*  See  Frontispiece. 


^m^ 


I' 


Franklin  ]\Iissi}ig — Search  Cotnincncaf.    173 


I  1 


II 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

FRANKI.IN    MISSIN'd:    TllF.    SF.AKCII    C0MMENCF:D. 

W\\  arc  about  to  commence  a  sad  era  in  the 
history  of  arctic  explorations,  or  rather  an 
era  havini;  its  commencement  and  stimulus  in  a 
melancholy  event,  yet  in  its  exhibition  of  heroism, 
and  in  the  outlay  of  treasures  and  men  to  secure 
the  results  scnight,  surpassing  all  other  eras.  V/c 
shall  endeavor  to  give  its  most  striking  features. 

In  1S44  Sir  James  C.  Ross  returned  from  the  re- 
gions of  the  South  I'ole,  having  made  a  successful 
exploration  in  the  ships  "  Erebus  "  and  *'  Terror." 
The  fever  for  more  excursions  to  the  North  Pole 
broke  out  anew  in  England.  These  well-tried 
ships  were  docked,  rejuvenated,  ecpiipped  with  all 
the  skill  which  wealth  could  command  and  ex- 
perience suggest,  and  put  in  command  of  the 
veteran  officer.  Sir  John  Franklin.  He  hoisted  his 
flag  on  the  '  Erebus,"  and  gave  the  command  of 
the  "  Terror  "  to  Captain  Richard  Crozier,  a  com- 
panion of  Ross  in  the  recent  Antartic  voyage. 
All  the  persons  composing  the  exploration  were 
one  hundred  and  thirty-eight,  every  one  tried, 
picked  men.  The  transi)ort  "  Daretto,"  under 
the  command  of  Lieutenant  Criffith,  was  laden 
with  provisions,  to  be  transferred  to  the  ships  in 
Davis  Strait. 


V 

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1: 


■11 


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ill. 


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ht 


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t 

1 

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s ' 

174 


Arctic  Heroes. 


The  instructions  given  to  Sir  John  were  some- 
what in  detail,  yet  left  large  discretion  to  his 
judgment,  as  determined  by  circumstance.  The 
substance  of  the  suggestions  of  the  home  authori- 
ties were  these  :  He  was  to  i)roceed  with  energy 
antl  directness  through  Lancaster  Sound,  to  or 
as  near  Melville  Island  as  ])ossible  the  first  season. 
Then  came  the  old  command,  to  push  on  to 
Bering  Strait — if  he  could.  It  was  only  nine  hun- 
dred miles  !  True,  the  greater  jiart  of  that  dis- 
tance had  been  navigated,  and  the  track  maj^ped 
out  by  different  men,  inchubng  Franklin  himself, 
starting  at  different  times  and  from  various  points, 
such  as  Bering  Strait  itself,  the  mouth  of  the 
Mackenzie,  and  of  the  Cojjpermine  River.  But 
for  one  expedition  to  make  a  continuous  push 
through  tlie  whole  distance  was  quite  another 
thing.  But  it  was  assumed  that  he  would  get 
through  somehow,  if  not  by  a  direct  westerly  or 
south-westerly  course,  by  one  north-westerly,  up 
Wellington  Channel.  Having  reached  Bering 
Strait,  the  rest  of  his  instructions  could  be  easily 
followed.  He  was  to  sail  to  the  Sandwich  Islands 
and  Panama,  and  send  a  special  messenger  with 
the  good  news. 

All  this  planning  was  grandly  comprehensive. 
It  pleased  Him  by  whom  alone  human  devices 
come  to  pass  to  throw  over  the  results,  for  many 
long,  weary,  and  anxious  years,  a  dark  cloud.  What 
appeared  when  it  lifted  we  shall  see. 

The  expedition  sailed  on  the  19th  of  May, 
1845.     The  "  Daretto  "  gave  the  ships  her  suppliess 


Franklin  Missing — Search  Commenced,    i/; 


after  reaching  Davis  Strait,  according  to  the  pro- 
gramme, and  returned.  The  **  Krebus  "  had  five 
bullocks  on  board  for  fresh  i)rovisions  in  an  eifier- 
ijency,  and  the  whole  stock  of  food  was  ample  for 
three  years.  The  explorers  were  seen  on  the  26th 
of  July  by  the  whaler  "  Prince  of  N\'ales,"  nearly 
in  the  middle  of  IJaffin  Hay,  two  hundred  and 
ten  miles  from  the  entrance  to  Lancaster  Sound, 
anchored  to  an  iceberg,  waiting  the  moving  of 
the  ice.     Here  the  curtain  drops. 

Suspense  concerning  the  fate  of  Franklin  had 
grown  i)ainfully  intense  in  the  fall  of  1847.  Two 
years  had  passed  without  a  word  of  information. 
The  English  Government  planned  immediately 
three  searching  expeditions,  and  they  were  sent 
into  active  scrvit  '■  with  all  the  dispatch  consistent 
with  thorough  preparation.  The  first  was  to  sail 
up  the  I'acific  to  Bering  Strait  and  operate  east- 
ernly.  The  second,  under  the  eminent  explorer 
Sir  John  Richardson,  whom  the  reader  has  met 
before,  was  to  go  down  the  Mackenzie,  and  search 
along  shore  to  the  Coppermine.  The  third,  un- 
der the  popular  J.  C.  Ross,  was  to  penetrate  Lan- 
caster Sound,  and  find  and  follow  Franklin's  route. 
This  last  was  on  a  grand  scale,  consisting  of  two 
fine  ships,  the  "  Enterprise  "  and  "  Investigator," 
each  attended  by  small  steam  tow-boat  "  launches," 
All  these  were  in  oj^eration  in  the  early  j)art  of 
T848.  In  the  early  fall  (jf  tliat  year  rumors 
through  the  whalers  reached  the  home  authorities 
concerning  the  plans  of  Ross  which  alarmed  them. 
They  regarded  them  as  desperately  brave.     They 


M 


^ 


■      I 

i 


h 


I 


V 


It 


1 1'    •■ 


176 


Arctic  Heroes. 


at  once  sent  the  "  North  Star,"  supply  ship,  under 
the  command  of  Jaines  Saunders,  hiden  with  pro- 
visions for  Ross,  and  bearing  specific  orders.  The 
"  S.ar  "  was  not  to  allow  herself  to  be  caught  in 
the  ice,  but  to  return  that  season  ai  all  events, 
leaving  at  some  well-known  point  lier  sui)i)lies  if 
she  (lid  not  find  Ross.  She  did  not  overtake  Ross, 
but  did  get  caught  and  wintered  in  the  ice. 

All  these  explorations  closed  unsuccessfully  to 
ward  the  end  of  1849. 

'Die  public  mind  was  now  continually  stimu- 
lated in  its  interest  concerning  the  lost  ones.  The 
veteran  exjjlorers — and  they  were  many — as  well 
as  the  veteran  managers  of  ex[)lorations,  came  for- 
ward with  their  speculations  and  advice.  Large 
'•ewards  were  promised,  both  by  the  Government 
and  Lady  Franklin,  to  excite  t^he  zeal  of  the 
whalers  in  making  careful  in(]uiry  of  the  Esciuimo, 
and  in  making  diligent  search  along  the  shores, 
while  }"ursuing  their  calling. 

The  Government,  thus  si)urred  on  by  its  own 
desires  and  by  public  o])inion,  started  three  more 
expeditions  in  1850.  The  first,  ia  the  tried  ves- 
sels the  "  Enter])rise  "  and  "  Navigator,"  sup- 
])orted  by  small  crafts,  were  this  time  to  start  on 
the  immediate  search  at  liering  Strait,  inasmuch 
as  they  did  not  gei  through  from  the  other  end. 
'I'he  second,  under  Dr.  Rae.  an  old  officer,  was  to 
try  the  Mackenzie  and  shore  route.  The  third, 
a  naval  expedition,  was  to  make  another  effort  bv 
way  of  T,ancaster  Sound,  through  which  I'ranklin 
was  supposed  to  have  passed.     Before  we   notice 


^ 


I 


I 


Frank  I  ill  Missing — Sec  re h  Commenced.    177 

this   squadron   in   detail,  let  us  glance  at  certain 
non-offuial  enterprises. 

There  was  an  exp.edition  under  the  command  of 
Captain  Penny,  an  energetic,  experienced  com- 
mander of  a  whale  ship.  It  consisted  of  a  staunch 
ship,  the  "  Lady  Franklin,"  and  a  clijiper-brig, 
the  "S()i)hia."  This  e\])edition  was  prompteil 
and  mostly  j.aid  lor  by  the  devoted  wife  of 
Franklin. 

In  addition  to  l*enny's  vessels,  Fatly  l'"ranklin, 
out  of  her  own  purse,  and  with  an  exha'-stive 
generosity,  fitted  out  the  ''  Prince  Albert,"  a 
schooner-rigged  era  t  of  only  ninety  tons,  but  of 
faultless  build. 

Another  expedition,  under  the  veteran  Sir  John 
Ross,  was  e<iuij)ped  by  public  subscrijition,  the 
Hudson  Bay  Company  ))aying  twenty-five  hundred 
dol'ars.  She  sailed  in  June,  1850,  a  little  later 
than  the  other  vessels. 

Whih'  Fngland  was  thus  stirring  iii  the  Chris- 
tian  work  of  saving  the  lost,  the  I'nited  States  was 
not  an  idle  sj)ectator.  Her  naval  ships,  the  "  .\d- 
vance  "  and  "  Rescue,"  we  shall  meet  in  the  lu^rth- 
ern  regions,  aiul  give  them  special  notice  in  due 
time.  These  i)rivate  enler[)rises  were  all  destined 
for  the  regions  beyond  Lancaster  Sound,  and.  as 
we  shall  see,  met,  and  in  a  measure  co-operated 
together. 

The  English  naval  S([uadron,  consisting  of  the 
sailing  vessels  "  Resolute  "  and  "  Assistance," 
rigged  as  barks,  and  two  screw  steamers,  the 
"  Pioneer  "  and    "  Intrepid,"  formed    a    searching 


i 


if 


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HI  11' 


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178 


Arctic  Heroes. 


m 


expedition  of  peculiar  interest.  The  steamers 
were  tenders  to  the  barks.  Steam,  as  we  have 
seen,  had  been  tried  before  in  the  arctic  service, 
but  with  no  great  success.  In  this  case  it  was  used 
on  an  ample  scale,  and  with  a  skill  and  success 
resulting  in  jiart  from  the  lessons  of  previous 
failures. 

Having  taken  a  look  through  the  other  vessels, 
w  will  lastly  examine  the  "  Pioneer,"  and  take  up 
our  (juarters  for  the  voyage  in  her. 

The  "  Resolute  "  was  selected  for  the  service 
because  she  was  well  built,  and  of  the  \ery  best 
material.  lUit  a  strong  build  for  ordinary  voyages 
was  not  considered  sufficient  for  the  boxing  she 
was  to  receive  in  the  regions  of  perpetual  ice. 
She  was  strengthened  with  heavy  tiniben-:  until 
her  frame  seemid  the  greater  part  of  her.  Ship 
architecture  was  sacrificed  to  ship  endurance. 
Her  bow  became  so  broad  that  it  resembled  more 
that  of  a  mud-scow  than  a  sailing  vessel,  so  that 
she  i)ushed  the  water  before  her  rather  than  sailed 
through  it.  An  old  "  salt,"  who  had  been  many 
times  among  the  arctic  floes  and  bergs,  scorned 
the  clumsy  thing  as  he  looked  at  her  while  she 
was  in  the  dock-yard.  "  Lord,  sir,"  he  exclaimed, 
addressing  his  commanding  officer,  "  you  would 
think  by  the  c[uantity  of  wood  they  are  putting 
into  them  shijjs  that  the  dock-yard  maties  be- 
lieved they  (  ould  stoi)  the  Almighty  from  moving 
tlic  tloes  in  Baflin  Bay  !  Every  pound  of  African 
oak  they  put  into  them  the  less  likely  they  are  to 
rise  to  pressure,  and  you  must  in  the  ice  either 


f 


•el, 


i 


Franklin  Missing — Search  Commenced.    1 79 

rise  or  sink.     If  the  floe  cannot  pass  through  the 
ship  it  will  pass  over  it." 

Internally  the  "  Resolute  "  was  arranged  and 
equipped  on  the  most  generous  scale  for  the  safety 
and  comfort  of  all  on  board.  Hot  air  was  distrib- 
uted through  the  cabins  and  between  the  decks 
by  an  original  and  ingenious  contrivance.  Double 
defenses  were  made  against  the  arctic  cold. 
Ami)le  and  convenient  cooking  apjjaratus  and 
apartments  were  provided.  Thv  mess-room  of 
the  crew  was  not  neglected,  but  made  Ix^th  com- 
fortable and  inviting.  A  large  '.aiitain's  cabin 
gave  him  room  for  meetings  of  business,  or  social 
intercourse  with  the  other  ofl'icers  ;  and  the  gun- 
room answered  for  the  officers  when  they  met 
toiiether  for  their  nv..'als.  'I'iie  whole  fore  e  of  the 
"  Resolute,"  officers  and  crew,  consisted  of  sixty 
men.  No  expense  or  pains  were  spared  to  make 
this  vessel  equal  in  adaptation  to  her  mission  to 
any  one  which  had  ever  sailed,  and  the  "  As- 
sistance "  was  in  every  essential  particular  her 
equal.  We  have  dwelt  thus  in  detail  on  the  de- 
scription of  the  "  Resolute  "  because  of  her  mar- 
velous later  history.  The  reader  will  not  forget 
her. 

'Y\\Q.  propellers  were  each  of  four  hundred  tons 
burden,  and  were  propelled  by  engines  of  sixty 
horse-power;  they  were  rigged  as  three-masted 
schooners.  Heavy  extra  planking  was  fastened 
securely  to  every  part  of  both  frame  and  decks,  so 
that  the  sailors  called  them  "  bread-and-butter 
built."     Their  bows,  made  in  a  wedge  form,  were 


f' 

III 

\ ' 

t^j^^i 

h 

'^ml 

f " 

;  \  m 

■ 

!i 

iii 

/  ; 

^n 

.     1 

iH 

''■-'     *'^^ 

['' jlH 

!  • :  H'H 

',  I 


H 


V 


» ■  ■ 


! 


I'^'^'it 


\kh 


1 80 


Arctic  Heroes. 


almost  solid  on  the  inside  with  oak  and  iron. 
The  screw,  stern-post,  and  riulder  might  be  bat- 
tered olT  by  llie  ice,  and  yet  tiie  vessel  n  ade  to 
swim,  The  internal  acconnnodations  were  good, 
only  that  the  heavy  carjjio  of  coal  to  drive  the 
engines  crowded  Jack  and  the  officers  into  close 
quarters.  A  sufficient  (juantity  of  this  article  was 
taken  to  enable  tliem,  with  a  consumption  of 
seven  tons  a  day,  to  tow  the  ships  three  thousand 
miles.  If  left  without  the  burden  of  the  sailing 
ship,  they  could  steam  five  thousand  miles.  They 
carried  about  fifteen  months'  provisions.  The 
crew  of  each  steamer  consisted  of  thirty  men, 
all  told. 

The  whole  scpiadron  was  considered  very  smart 
— both  men  and  \essels — and  the  enterprise  was 
undertaken   in  the  spirit  of  men  \\ho  counted  on 


taking   the  prize 


It  left   I'ln^Iand   in  the  middle 


of  the  si)ring  of  1S50.  It  was  under  the  command 
of  Captain  Austen,  whose  flag-slnij  was  the  "  Reso- 
lute." C'ajHain  ( )mmaney  commanded  in  the 
"  Assistance,"  and  Lieutenant  Osborne  in  the  "  I'io- 


neer,     wi 


th 


whom,  as  we  have  stated,  we  are  to 


deal,   and    Lieutenant    Rater    in  tht 


Intrc. 


I'or   the    sake  of  directness  of  statement    we  will 
use  the  first  person. 

On  the  24th  of  June  our  squadron  was  in  Jkaffin 
Bay,  steaming  north  through  an  open  sea,  ^hile 
the  i(  ebergs  careered  about  us,  some  in  solemn 
grandeur  from  their  great  si/e  a..  '  '-onqiact  make, 
and  others  almost  ludicrous  in  their  fantastic 
forms,  etc. ;  all  mingled  together,  and  occasionally 


i 


Frav^'Hu  Missifig — ScarcJi  Couininiccd.    i8i 

colliding  in  wild  magnificence.  '*  Hard  a  star- 
board I  vStcady  !  Port  I  port  I  "  was  shouted  by 
the  officer  in  command,  and  we  Hew  past  some 
huge  crystal  island  against  which  the  angry  bil- 
lows vainly  dashed.  The  excitement  was  novel 
to  some  of  us,  and  delightful  to  all.  A  storm  soon 
came  down  upon  us,  yet  we  sped  watchfully  and 
fearlessl)  on  : — 

"  And  now  tlicre  came  ;)oth  mist  and  snow, 
And  il  grew  wondrous  cold  ; 
And  ice,  mast  high,  came  floating  by 
As  green  a>  emerald. 


Through  the  drifl.s  the  snowy  cliffs 

Did  send  a  dismal  slieen  ; 
Nor  shapes  of  men  or  beasts  we  ken- 

The  ice  was  all  l)etween. 


It 


With  sloping  masts  and  ilripping  prow. 
As  who  pursued  with  yell  and  blow, 

Still  treads  the  shadow  of  hix  foe. 

And  forward  bends  hi-,  head, 
The  ship  drove  fast,  loud  roared  the  blast, 
And  //.'/-/// riwn/ aye  we  lied." 


l'i! 


ti 


Having  hauled  in  for  the  land,  we  touched  at 
the  Danish  settlement  of  Upernavik,  We  were 
soon  off  again  and  fell  in  with  some  whalers,  and 
sighted  Cajitain  Penny's  expedition — the  "  I.aily 
Franklin  "  and  the  '*  So])hia. 

the  wind,"  we  made  fast  to  an  ii  cTcrg.  I  his  is 
done  by  sinking  a  h.cavy  iron  hook  in  the  herg,  to 
which  a  cable  is  attached.  This  is  a  risky  way 
of  anchoring.     It  may  hai)pen  tli  it  the  first  blow 


A  storm  be 
o  an    i(  eber^. 


in; 


V 


w 

IF^ 

ii 

r  • 

1 

^     r 

4 

^ 

ij 

1* 

i  ' 

1 

1 

! 

I   -1  ' 

1 

.1 

V  ' 

■■  i 

m 


182 


Arctic  Heroes. 


I 


that  the  sailor  strikes,  in  order  to  settle  the  hook 
into  the  i<  chcrg,  rends  the  whole  nia^s  ;  or  the  i)art 
on  which  he  stands  may  sheUe  (jIT,  and  he  be 
pre(:ij)itatcd  with  it  into  the  sea;  or  if  the  sjjot 
selected  has  not  been  carefully  chosen  to  avoid 
such  an  accident,  an  overhanging  i)iece  of  ice 
may,  at  the  first  stroke  of  his  crowbar,  fall  upon 
his  head.  Hven  the  ship  itself  may  be  injured 
by  the  disruption  of  the  berg  under  these  cir- 
cumstances. 

On  this  occasion  we  chose  a  berg  one  of  whose 
sides  sloped  to  the  sea,  having  no  overhanging 
points.  The  "Pioneer"  and  "Intrepid"  were 
soon  made  fast  to  it,  and  we  rode  out  the  gale 
securely. 

On  the  first  of  July  the  welcome   signal  came 
from    the    flag-ship:    "Take    the    ships    in    tow," 
With  a  sixteen-inch  hawser  we  took  the  "  Resolute  " 
by  the  nose.     We  were  in  company  with  Captain 
Penny's  ships  and  several  whalemen,  but  we  soon 
left  them  astern.     We   dodged  the  bergs,  pushed 
into  an  opening  of  the  ice  here,  and  made  one  in 
looser    ice    there,    making    headway    through    the 
loose  pack  as  only  propellers  could.     We  were  in 
the  midst  of  scattered  islands,  from  some  of  which 
the  boats  of  the  whalers  were  getting  great  quan- 
tities of  eggs.     After  having  for  some  time  pushed 
our  way  through  sonu-  rotten  ice  six  im  lies  thick, 
we  came  to  a  narri)\s  lead  of  open  water  near  the* 
land   and  made   fast   for  the   night.     Some   of  us 
climbed  to  the  highest  point  of  the  near  land  to 
enjoy  the  profound  silence  of  an  arctic  night.     Of 


in 

le 

la 
h 

Wi- 
ld 
k, 
ie« 
us 
to 

0{ 


Frankliu  Missing — Scan/:  Coinntoiced.    183 

course  our  ni^lit  was  as  the  day,  antl  we  wore  rest- 
less and  unable  to  sleep  under  the  constant  hla/.e 
of  light.  JUit  birds  and  beasts  iiad  retired  to  rest 
with  their  wonted  regularity,  as  if  it  was  a  night 
of  darkness.  A  heavy  bank  of  clouds  al.)i)ut  the 
sun  and  the  subdued  tints  of  the  sky  gave  a 
pleasant  (|uietude  to  the  scene.      .\way  westward, 


across    Haffin    IJav,    the    direction    wi 


w 


ould 


K 


o. 


was  ice,  i(  e,  ice.  Now  and  then  we  could  catch 
a  glimjjse  of  the  windings  of  a  narrow  oi)ening 
of  clear  sea.  We  will  push  through  the  windings 
on  the  morrow,  we  thought,  anil  we  shall  see  no 
more  of  the  sailing  vessels.  lUit  while  we  nuised 
Penny's  "  Lady  Franklin  "  and  "  Sophia  "  sj)ed  by. 
A  breeze  had  sprung  Uj),  and  the  wide-awake 
Penny  had  spread  his  sails  to  it,  and  was  beating 


the  steamers.      It 


won 


Id  never  do  I      We  hurried 


on  board,  and,  having  had  only  a  two  hours'  instead 
of  a  night's  halt,  we  took  the  "  Resolute  "  in  tow 
and  pushed  forward.  So  mucli  i'or  the  s])ur  of  a 
good  example  !  The  "  Intrei)id  "  followed,  tugging 
the  "  Assistance."  In  the  morning  at  seven  o'clock 
we  had  passed  Penny's  s(|uadron.  After  a  tow  of 
thirty  hours  a  block  of  ice  dcOed  the  butting  of 
our  sharp  jjrows,  and  both  steamers  and  tiie  ships 
hauled  uj)  to  convenient  icebergs.  The  sea-fowl 
called  loons  were  about  us  in  countless  nundjers. 
Thousands  (n)uld  have  been  brought  down  by 
our  guns  if  we  had  been  disposed  to  devote 
ourselves   for   awhile   to    the    sport.     1   clind)ed  a 


small  island  near  the  "  Pioneer. 


he  on 


ly  o] 


)en- 


ing  leading   westward   commenced   astern   of  u; 
19 


II 


m 

\  iff 

\  1: 


m 


hi 

s 


J  <" 

hi 
I'i    .1 


''il 


't 


ti(** 


} 


184 


Arctic  Heroes. 


Into  this  tlio  provoking  Penny  was  already  enter- 
ing, and  was  shooting  ahead  of  our  position.  I 
amused  myself  in  ])icking  some  anemones,  pop- 
pies, and  saxifras  which  grew  in  sheltered  nooks. 
Though  flowers  of  this  rough  arctic  region,  they 
possessed  a  delicate  beauty. 

When  our  vessels  stoi)ped,  Captain  Osborne  sent 
the  captain  of  the  forecastle,  with  a  boat's  crew, 
to  a  headland  not  far  off  to  get  a  supply  of  loons. 
The  boat  returned  the  next  niurning  without  having 
shot  a  single  fowl,  th.ough  not  a  man  had  a  charge 
of  powder  or  shot  left.  Captain  Osborne  called 
for  the  commander  of  the  boat,  and  in([uiretl  Ikuv 
he  managed  to  fire  away  one  jxjuikI  of  powder 
and  four  of  small  sluH  and  not  bring  home  *i 
loon.  Hanging  his  head,  like  a  school-boy  caught 
robbing  his  seat-mate's  dinner-bask  .'t,  he  an- 
swered : — 

"  If  you  please,  sir,  we  fired  it  all  into  a  bear  I  " 


What  !  "  said  the  ca'jtai 


n, 


shot  a  bear  witli 


N 


o.  4  s 


hot 


es, 


sir  ;  and  if  it  hadn't  have  been  for  t 


wo  or 


tliree   who   were    afraid   of   him,    we   would    have 
brought  him  aboard,  too.'' 

Sending  the  bear-hunting  forecastle  officer  about 
his  business  witli  a  reprimand  for  disobeying  or- 
ders, the  captain  learned  afterward  the  following 
facts :  '{'he  boat's  company,  in  })absing  a  small 
island,  saw  a  bear  watching  for  his  dinner  at  a 
seal-hole.  'i'hey  at  once  agreed  that  to  be  the 
first  to  bring  a  bear  home  would  immortalize  both 


thcm  an 


d  th 


eir  shi{ 


nev  unmec 


liatel 


y  1 


)0 


ured 


w 


lu 


11- 


\ 


or 


)iit 
ill 


Dili 


I'raiikliu  Missixg — Search  Coinnuuccd.    185 

into  his  l)ro;i(l  sides  showers  of  biril-sliol  I  It 
probably  made  him  feci  a  lilllc  uiu omfortablc  aiid 
considerably  vexed,  especially  at  being  molested 
while  pursuinu;  an  honest  business — that  of  getting 
a  needed  meal,  lie  growled,  snapped  his  teeth, 
ami  trotted  rcnmd  the  island.  The  valiant  hunters 
followed  him,  giN'ing  him  more  and  more  bird-;-.hot. 
Not  liking  to  be  pestered  in  this  way,  bruin  plunged 
into  tlie  w;;ter  antl  swam  to  a  |)ie<'e  of  broken  ice. 
The  heroic  hunters  followed,  and  gave  him  a  brass 
button  and  the  blade  of  a  knife,  and  the  like  missiles, 
whi(  h,  ill  the  absence  of  balls,  they  had  crammed 
into  their  guns.  They  *'  made  him  jumi),"  as  "  ( )ld 
Abbot,"  the  officer  of  the  forecastle,  declared,  and 
us  he  reached  the  ice  he  was  bleeding  and  torn, 
though  not  very  seriously  injured,  for  a  p<jlar  bear 
can  stand  (piile  a  (pianlity  of  bird-shot,  besides 
several  bullcMis  and  knife-blades.  Abbot  was 
after  him,  ami  as  the  bear  attempted  to  get  on  the 
lloe  the  battle  was  renewed.  Old  Abbot  wanted 
bruin's  skin,  and  bruin  desired  to  keep  it  ;  and, 
besides,  began  to  gi\e  ^^igns,  by  earnest  fighlin 
that  he  considered  the  joke  carried  far  enough. 
The  knights  of  the  small-shot  and  boat-hooks  were 
glad  to  retreat  with  their  own  ^kins,  leaving  bruin 
master  of  the  held  and  four  pounds  (jf  lead,  but 
Old  Abbot  declared  in  tiie  forecastle  talk,  that  if 
he  had  been  courageously  sustained  by  his  men 
the   bear   might   ha\e   been    brought   to    the    ship. 


(->' 


tame 


d,  h 


;irnes 


sed  tf)  a  sJedue,  and   made  to  save 


'h^' 


an  aw 


ful 


siLMit  (;i  h:i 


rd  di 


r;i>r(rin  ir 


re 


d 


Tile  reader  must  imagine  us  now,  July  3,  1850,  as 


I 


ti 


\-\ 


1.1 


! 


W 


I  ! 


HJ 


!! 


tt> 


1 86 


Arctic    Heroes. 


I   •.   ! 


.      i 


I 


])ushing  up  the  eastern  or  (Irccnland  side  ot"  MafTin 
J^ay  toward  Cape  York  and  Dudley  Higgs,  both 
of  which  may  be  easily  found  on  the  map.  ()i!r 
objc<  t  was  to  get  into  the  open  water  generally 
found  on  its  northern  boundary,  and  so  cross  to 
the  eastern  side  and  get  into  J  Lancaster  Sound. 

"  The  middle  pack,"  as  it  was  called,  filled  the 
center  of  the  bay.  Its  eastern  side  was  less  fre- 
quently navigabh-  than  the  western. 

We  started  in  the  morning  through  a  narrow 
in-shore  "  lead."  W'c  were  soon  beset  with  "  bars  " 
of  i(  e  with  holes  of  water  between  ihem.  The 
"Pioneer"  undertook  to  break  throu;j,h  the  l)ar>> 
with  its  sharp  ])r()w,  and  then  to  drag  the  "  Resolute" 
after  it.  We  put  on  a  full  head  of  steam,  and  then 
rushed  at  it  furiously.  'I'he  ice  thus  smashed  was 
])ushed  astern  by  the  men,  and  a  clear  channel 
given  us  for  another  effort.  We  run  a>lern  far 
enough  to  get  a  good  headway,  set  the  proj)eller  in 
motion,  and  came  ui)on  the  bar  again  with  a  con- 
cussion wliich  caused  our  vessel  to  ipiixer  like  a 
striuk  bullock.  Fragments  of  ice  Hew  like  the 
spray,  and  great  rents  were  made  in  it,  and  large 
cakes  were  broken  off.  But  getting  these  cakes  out 
so  as  to  make  a  clear  channel  for  another  drive  was 
a  task  which  needed  double  our  number  (jf  men. 
These  could  not  be  si)ared  for  the  ])resent  from 
the  other  vessels,  so,  before  our  brave  boys  could 
get  theni  out,  they  froze  solid  again  !  Not  only  so, 
l)Ut  the  icy  debris  about  the  "  Pioneer  "  froze  in 
tlu'  meantime,  and  the  P'rost  King  held  us  in  his 
firm   grip.     Scores  of  slrt^ng  men  now  (  ame   from 


Frank/ IN  . I lissiii^. 


i«7 


the  other  vessels  to  hrlj)  iis.  Hut  it  ^v,l^  to.)  late  ! 
Ice  tools — saws,  (  hisels,  iroii-jioiiued  poles,  claws, 
and  liiU'S — were  of  no  a\ail.  We  were  unwillin:;ly 
''docked,"  and  had  only  to  make  the  best  «if  it, 
and  wait  tor  the  fickle  arctic  thaws,  winds,  and 
currents  to  come  to  our  aid  and  set  us  free. 


♦ 


W«i| 


IMAGE  EVALUATION 
TEST  TARGET  (MT-3) 


1.0  :^™-  iiM 


I.I 


^  1^ 


1.8 


1.25      1.4 

1.6 

■• 6"     — 

► 

v; 


/ 


c^l 


S 


■>■»     M. 


#■ 


^v 


y 


^ 


Photographic 

Sciences 

Corporation 


tlJ      ^  V  ^  ^ 


23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.Y.  14580 

(716)  873-4503 


» 


nJ' 


C/a 


fe 
% 


J 


\k'ii 


i88 


Arctic  Heroes. 


!.,       i 


CHAPTER  XVni. 


STEAMING    THROUGH    ICE-FLOES. 


I   -A  '. 


A\   \ 


I  'V 


WE  were  not  disposed  to  improve  the  leisure 
of  the  '' Pioneer's  "confinement  by  repeat- 
ing old  Abbot's  experiment  of  hunting  polar  bears 
with  bird  shot.  But  the  following  incident,  taken 
from  Captain  Osborne's  journal,  shows  that  our  sport 
was  not  without  its  excitement  and  danger  : — 

"  A  few  birds  flying  about  induced  myself  and 
some  others  to  go  out  shooting,  a  foggy  night 
promising  to  be  favorable  to  our  larders.  The 
ice,  however,  was  full  of  holes,  and  very  decayed, 
in  addition  to  which  it  was  in  rapid  motion  in 
many  piuces  from  the  action  of  wind  and  tide. 
The  risk  of  such  sporting  was  well  evinced  in  my 
gallant  friend  M.'s  case.  He  was  on  one  side  of  a 
lane  of  water,  and  I  on  the  other ;  a  bird  called 
the  burgomaster  flew  over  his  head  to  the  sea- 
ward, and  he  started  in  the  direction  it  had  gone. 
I  and  another  shouted  to  warn  him  of  the  ice  be- 
ing in  rapid  motion  and  very  thin.  He  halted  for 
a  moment  and  then  ran  on,  leaping  from  piece  to 
piece.  The  fog  at  this  moment  lifted  a  little,  and 
most  providentially  so,  for  suddenly  I  saw  M. 
make  a  leap  aiid  disappear.  The  ice  had  given 
way  !  He  soon  rose  but  without  his  gun,  and  I 
then  saw  him  scramble  upon  a  piece  of  ice,  and 


SteafniHiy  tJirouHi  Ice- Floes. 


1S9 


on  watching  it,  observed  with  a  shudder  that  both 
he  and  it  were  drifting  to  the  northward  and 
away  from  us.  Leaving  my  remaining  companion 
to  keep  sight  of  M.,  and  thus  to  point  out  the  way 
on  my  return,  I  retraced  my  steps  to  the  '  Pio- 
neer,' and,  with  a  couple  of  men,  a  hand-line,  and 
boarding  pikes,  started  off  in  the  direction  M. 
was  in. 

"  I  could  tell  my  route  pretty  well  by  my  com- 
panion's voice,  which,  in  rich  Milesian,  was  giving 
utterance  to  exclamations  of  the  most  original 
character :  '  Keep  up  your  courage,  my  boy ! 
Why  don't  you  come  back  .'^  Faith,  I  suppose  it's 
water  that  wont  let  you !  There  will  be  some 
one  there  directly  !  Hay  !  hay  !  hay  !  Don't  be 
downhearted  any  way.' 

"  I  laughed  as  I  ran.  My  party  placed  them- 
selves about  ten  yards  apart,  the  last  man  carrying 
the  line  ready  to  heave  in  case  of  the  leader 
breaking  through.  So  weak  was  the  ice  that  we 
had  to  keep  at  a  sharp  trot  to  prevent  the  weight 
of  our  bodies  resting  long  on  any  one  spot ;  and 
when  we  sighted  our  friend  M.,  on  his  little  piece 
of  firm  ice,  the  natural  exclamation  of  one  of  my 
men  was :  '  I  wonder  how  he  ever  reached  it, 
sir!' 

"  M.  assisted  us  to  approach  him  by  pointing 
out  his  own  route,  and  by  exteriding  our  line,  and 
holding  on  to  it,  we  at  last  got  near  enough  to 
take  him  off  the  piece  of  detached  ice  on  which 
he  had  providentially  scrambled. 

"  I  never   think  of  the   occurrence   without  a 


■^1 


190 


Arctic  Heroes. 


i 


Ml     • 


i' 


W  ii 

•5  I 


t 


i| 


/ 


^i 


sickening  sensation,  mixed  with  a  comic  recollec- 
tion of  my  companion's  ejaculations." 

Our  confinement  was  for  only  one  day.  Even  be- 
fore our  captain's  return  with  his  half-frozen  friend 
M.,  the  turn  of  the  tide  gave  evidence  that  the  ice 
'.bout  the  vessel  was  loosening  and  drifting  away. 
They  did  not  arrive  a  minute  too  soon.  At  noon 
of  the  next  day  we  had  the  ships  in  tow,  tugging 
away  to  the  north-west.  The  fleet  of  whale  ships, 
with  all  sails  spread,  showed  an  ambition  to  be  up 
with  us.  Penny's  ships  were  still  ahead.  We 
soon  sighted  the  Devil's  Thumb,  a  cape  making 
the  southern  boundary  of  Melville  Bay.  It  was 
an  unattractive  name  given  to  a  place  of  sad  asso- 
ciations to  sailors.  Stormy  winds  blow  here  which 
have  sunk  many  a  noble  craft.  In  one  year 
twenty-eight  whale  ships  went  down  before  their 
terrific  force. 

We  made  good  progress  for  two  days,  quite  as 
long  as  good  progress  could  be  expected  to  con- 
tinue in  those  regions.  Wc  had  gone  down  to 
dinner  with  an  intelligent  captain  of  one  of  the 
whale  ships.  Our  dinner  and  talk  were  abruptly 
broken  off  by  an  alarm  from  the  deck.  The  face 
of  the  sky  had  vailed  its  smiles,  and  it  was  frown- 
ing terribly.  A  moaning  gale,  carrying  before  it 
a  brown  vapor,  heralded  the  storm.  The  ice 
gleamed  fiercely  and  the  floes  rapidly  crowded  to- 
gether, as  if  to  make  a  united  attack  on  the  ships, 
icebergs  clashing  in  the  mean  time  most  sav- 
agely. Woe  to  the  ships  which  came  between 
them  in  their  terrific  assaults. 


Stcamifig  t /trough  Icc-Floes. 


191 


A  scene  of  the  most  exciting  interest  now  com- 
menced. Suddenly  the  ice  was  peopled  with  five 
hundred  men.  Long  saws,  with  evCry  expedient 
known  to  arctic  voyagers,  were  put  in  operation 
to  open  safe  retreat^'  in  the  solid  ice,  known  as 
'■  docks,"  where  the  ships,  each  in  his  own  cuddy, 
might,  be  safe  from  the  contending  floes.  Each 
crew  worked  as  for  his  own  life,  as  well  as  that  of 
his  vessel.  Defiant  songs  from  h^  'rse  throats  rose 
above  the  piping  wind.  Loud  laughs  and  sharp 
witticism  of  the  men  mingled  with  the  decisive 
orders  of  the  officers.  The  ice  was  an  average 
thickness  of  three  feet.  Saws  teu  feet  in  length 
were  used.  Huge  blocks  were  cut  out  which  were 
drilled,  charged  with  powder,  and  blown  to  pieces, 
the  officers  doing  this  delicate  part  of  the  woik. 

In  an  incredible  short  time  explorers  and  whale- 
men were  securely  stowed  away  in  a  sound  part 
of  a  floe,  ready  to  go  with  it  to  any  contest  it 
might  choose.  The  pressure  of  the  whole  pack 
was  expended  upon  a  chain  of  icebergs  nearly  ten 
miles  north  of  our  position.  Floes  charging  ice- 
berg? was  an  unequal  fight.  Though  every  cubic 
yard  of  the  solid  ice  which  composed  the  floes 
weighed  a  ton,  yet  when  hurled  against  the 
grounded  bergs  it  was  broken  into  fragments, 
thrown  back,  and  piled  into  elevated  heap^.  The 
din  of  the  battle  was  heard  afar  off. 

A  bear,  snuffing,  perhaps,  the  odors  from  our 
many  camp  fires,  came  in  sight.  Away  scampered 
a  multitude  of  hunters,  rushing  pell-mell  at  the 
game,  armed  with   whatever   first  came  to  hand. 


I 


'*-i'd 


■rs, 
tit* 


192 


Arctic  Heroes. 


'f  : 


i  1  * 


Bruin,  alarmed  in  good  time,  and  having  a  long 
start  of  his  foes,  might  have  won  tlie  race.  But  a 
sharp  appetite,  tempted  by  a  seal  which  lay  across 
liis  path,  overcame  his  discretion.  He  stopped  to 
eat,  and  that  meal  cost  him  his  life.  He  was  shot 
by  the  foremost  hunters,  and  brought  home  in 
triumph. 

The  floes  broke  up  as  suddenly  as  they  formed. 
Channels  of  water  appeared  in  various  directions. 
Through  these  the  steamers  towed  the  "  Resolute  " 
and  "Assistance."  The  other  sailing  vessels  w^ere 
"  tracted  "  along  these  channels,  as  in  canals  the 
boats  are  drawn  by  horses.  The  crews  of  the 
whale  ships,  often  counting  sixty  men,  were  fast- 
ened to  a  long  line  by  their  "  tract-belts,"  and,  with 
shouts  and  songs,  made  their  heavy  ships  plow 
through  the  water  at  good  speed. 

Frequent  bars  of  thick  ice  brought  to  a  stand- 
still the  sailing  vessels,  but  we,  with  our  powerful 
wedge-like  prow,  pushed  by  the  giant  engine, 
drove  through  them,  dragging  at  our  heels  the 
"  Resolute."  The  men  from  the  whalers  came 
quizzing  round,  wondering  at  our  power ;  even 
Penny  "gave  it  up,"  and  rated  steam  a  success  in 
arctic  navigation.  Some  of  the  whale  ships,  dis- 
couraged by  this  tedious  way  of  making  j^rogress, 
turned  back,  though  a  few  hung  upon  our  rear. 

The  bars  at  last  gave  way,  and  Penny  was  the 
first  to  enter  the  clear  sea.  The  "  Pioneer  "  and 
"  Intrepid  "  made  the  best  speed  they  could  with 
their  awkward  sailing  charges.  We  could  only 
sail  three  miles  an  hour  thus  encumbered.     Alone 


/ 


Stcwniug  i/nvitgk  Ice- Floes. 


193 


we  could  have  made  five.  Onward  we  steered, 
and  we  vainly  imagined  Ave  should  have  no  more 
ice-packs,  but  were  soon  to  be  in  the  "  nt)rth 
water,"  and  thence,  sailing  westward,  to  gain  Lan- 
caster Sound,  and  the  region  where  we  hoped  to 
get  upon  the  track  of  the  lost  Franklin.  How 
this  hope  thrilled  our  hearts!  But  a  few  days  only 
passed  before  all  the  searching  squadrons  were 
once  more  ice-bound.  Between  us  and  the  shore 
was  solid  ice,  called  the  land-floe,  thirty  miles  in 
extent.  It  followed  the  irregularities  of  the  coast, 
and  seemed  as  firm  as  if  it  were  an  unchangeable 
part  of  it.  Here  and  there,  fast  anchored  within 
it,  was  a  noble  iceberg.  We  were  held  tight 
by  the  heavy,  drifting  ice,  which,  as  it  crowded 
against  our  ships,  well  deserved  the  name  of 
*' pack-ice;"  at  any  rate  we  were  packed  into  it 
very  closely. 

The  glare  of  the  sun  so  dazzled  the  eyes  of  the 
men  as  they  walked  about  near  the  ship,  that 
many  ludicrous  appearing  spectacles  were  devised 
to  screen  the  eyes,  causing  much  merriment. 

We  were  entertained  too,  as  we  sauntered  about, 
by  a  beautiful  refraction,  Distant  objects  were 
lifted  into  the  clouds  and  seen  double.  Some 
were  curiously  distorted.  Captain  Penny's  ships, 
full  thirty  miles  away,  and  whalers,  lying  in  dif- 
ferent directions,  were  brought  into  full  view. 

As  the  ice  yielded  to  the  current  below,  holes 
were  opened.  In  these  narwhal,  or  sea-unicorns, 
soon  appeared,  puffing  and  plunging  about,  seem- 
ing to  be  in  fine  spirits.     An  officer  of  the  "  In- 


m 


194 


Arctic  Heroes. 


■■  11 

'  Ii 


{ 


!v1  ii:i 


'§[ 

f;;  ^ 

':^ 

'if'' 

,      ^ 

[ 

h 

;i'i 

'ii'' 

1  1 

1 

t  ^ 

N  ^ 


trepi'.l  "  fired  at  one  of  them,  and,  by  special  good 
luck,  gave  it  a  mortal  wound.  It  was  captured, 
dragged  to  the  vessel,  and  great  rejoicing  made 
ov("-  it.  Its  flesh  was  rei)ulsive  in  smell  and 
taste,  and  not  to  our  liking  as  food.  Some  of  the 
men  ate  it  with  a  relish,  and  declared  it  tasted  like 
chesnuts  !  Just  under  the  skin  is  a  layer  of  fat  or 
"  blubber,"  which  we  carefully  removed  and  boiled 
down  to  make  oil. 

The  spiral  horn  protruding  from  the  front  of 
its  head,  was  about  five  feet  long,  and  the  whole 
fish  was  nearly  eleven  feet  long.  We  reckoned 
its  size  about  pn  average.  The  horn  had  a  blunt 
but  polished  point,  the  rest  of  it  being  covered 
with  slime  and  a  greenish  sea-weed.  The  fislier- 
men  have  various  opinions  about  the  use  of  this 
horn.  It  seems  too  clumsy  as  a  weapon  of  attack 
or  defense.  Some  think  that  he  roots  with  it  on 
the  bottom  of  the  sea,  as  a  hog  does  in  the  sty. 
Others  declare  that  they  have  seen  him  probe  the 
fishes  with  it  from  the  crevices  of  the  ice,  where 
they  had  hid  to  get  out  of  his  way.  It  must  be 
quite  handy  for  such  a  purpose.  But  as  this  tusk 
does  not  seem  to  be  of  very  great  use  and  is  worn 
only  by  the  male  narwhal,  it  has  been  suggested 
that  it  is  simply  a  badge  of  superior  dignity. 
Baby  narwhals  wear  two  of  these  tusks,  but  one  is 
deemed  sufficient  when  they  become  grown  folks. 

We  left  the  carcass  of  our  specimen  to  be 
devoured  by  the  sea-fowl,  and  the  greediness 
with  which  great  numbers  of  them  feasted  upon 
it,  showed   t/iei'r  opinion  of  narwhal  flesh.     The 


tel"  i 


i!l   tlii 


Steaviino^  throt(i^/i  Icc-FIocs. 


195 


Esquimo  consider  it  good  eating,  and  no  doubt  \vc 
should  if  very  luingry.  All  agree  tliat  its  flesh  is 
an  excellent  preventive  of  the  scurvy. 

The  good  luck  of  the  officer  who  shot  it  in 
securing  a  tusk  to  carry  home  as  a  trophy,  caused 
the  sport  of  these  fish  to  be  much  disturbed. 
Showers  of  bullets  were  poured  into  them  ;  and, 
if  they  could  not  dodge  them  they  soon  learned 
to  be  shy. 

After  refraction  and  the  narwhals  had,  in  turn, 
entertained  us,  a  huge  iceberg  gave  a  rare  exhibi- 
tion for  our  gratification.  We  had  noticed  its 
great  size  and  solidity.  It  looked  sufficiently 
massive  to  defy  the  winter  storms  and  .  jmmer 
thaws  of  centuries.  All  at  once  it  began  to  fall 
to  pieces,  as  if  shaken  by  an  earth([uake.  Large 
masses  fell  from  it  into  the  water,  shattered  into  a 
thousand  pieces !  The  sea  around  it  seethed  like 
a  caldron.  The  swell  that  it  occasioned  lifted  the 
floes  for  ten  miles.  We  were  glad  that  its  dissolu- 
tion took  place  at  a  safe  distance  from  us. 

One  day  Captain  Penny,,  being  on  board  of  us, 
went  into  the  "  crow's  nest,"  and  swept  the  hori- 
zon with  his  glass.  Hurrying  to  the  deck  and 
making  preparations  for  a  hasty  departure  for  his 
own  vessel,  he  exclaimed  :  "  The  land  ice  is  break- 
ing up!  "  We  knew  that  his  keen  and  practiced 
eye  could  not  be  deceived,  and  that  ten  miles  of 
icy  girding  of  the  shore  was  soon  to  be  in  motion, 
threatening  destruction  to  whatever  came  within 
its  powerful  "nips."  We  instantly  armed  for  the 
conflict,  and  every  man  was  at  his  post  of  duty, 


'1 


t.  i 


'  f  I 


<H 


w 


( 


i^'     ^!   ' 


m    , !  ■ 


1;''^ 


I    ^   : 


m 


I  11 


-\ 

i   ■  i 

:  i' 

i 

,     m| 

■ 

1 , 

, .      ,.li 

i 

i 

n^ 

196 


Arctic  Heroes. 


awaiting  the  onset.  Soon  it  came.  Every  timber 
and  j)lank  cracked  and  groaned,  the  treenails  and 
iron  b(;Its  snap])ed  \vith  siiarp  reports,  and  the 
vessel  was  lifted  l)odily  and  considerably  thrown 
owr  on  her  side;  the  deck  arched  with  the  press- 
ure on  her  side,  the  bulk-head  even  cracked,  and 
the  wh(jle  noble  craft  was  wrung  with  a  (|uiver  of 
agony.  The  floe  held  us  in  its  giant  grip,  and,  as 
if  intent  upon  our  destruction,  piled  up  as  high  as 
the  bulwarks. 

I'he  men,  without  orders,  but  by  a  general  im- 
pulse, packed  up  their  clothes,  and  oth-.r  little 
l)roperty,  and  brought  them  upon  deck.  They 
were  ready  for  the  desperate  scramble  for  life 
upon  the  ice,  when  the  fatal  crisis  of  the  "  Pio- 
neer" came.  They  stood  in  knots  waiting  for  or- 
ders, while  offi.  with  anxious  eyes  watched  the 
floe  edge  as  it  shly  ground  against  the  sides, 
to  see  if  the  strain  was  lessening.  Suddenly  the 
writhing  vessel,  like  a  deer  loosened  from  the 
deadly  coils  of  an  anaconda,  settled  back  into  a 
natural  position.  We  were  safe !  But  a  dee}) 
scar  on  her  side  forty  feet  long,  and  twenty-one 
broken  timbers  ui)on  one  side,  bore  witness  to  the 
severity  of  her  trial. 

For  eleven  days  we  struggled  in  this  pack.  But 
our  great  deliverance  from  imminent  death  gave 
us  hope  for  the  future.  Surely  the  Divine  hand 
upheld  us,  and  we  shall  not  fall  in  coining  perils. 
So  we  felt.  The  men  shouted  and  sung  while 
at  their  exhausting  work.  Sometimes  roars  of 
laughter  evinced  their  unflinching  courage.     Men 


Steaming  througJi  Ice- Floes. 


197 


and  officers  shared  alike  in  lal)f)r  and  peril,  and 
rejoiced  together;  both  hove  at  the  cai)stan,  and 
dragged  at  the  tract-line.  The  dignity  of  the 
quarter-deck  was  laid  aside  as  useless;  Jack,  feel- 
ing the  responsibility  of  the  hour,  took  no  advan- 
tage of  the  familiarity  of  his  superiors,  but  played 
the  part  of  a  man. 

When  the  giant  of  the  north  bid  us  stop,  we 
had  our  sports  upon  the  ice.  No  school-boys  ever 
played  heartier,  ^[en  of  gray  hairs  mingled  with 
the  youngest  in  the  i)lays  of  youth.  The  panting, 
running,  lea})ing,  clajjijing  of  hands,  roars  of  laugh- 
ter, shouts  of  "There  now,  that's  not  fair;  run 
again,"  and  uproarious  exclamations  of  triumph, 
all  declared  we  were  boys  again. 

While  the  crowd  was  thus  employed,  a  few  were 
quietly  pitching  quoits.  A  still  smaller  number 
strolled  off,  and,  may  be,  talked  of  the  past  and 
sagely  discussed  the  future. 

We  occasionally  had  a  bear  chase  by  way  of 
variety.  Bruin  was  keen  on  the  scent,  and  had  a 
tough  hide,  which,  though  not  ball  proof,  enabled 
him  to  carry  off  many  with  impunity.  He  could 
endure,  too,  long  teasing  and  many  thrusts  from 
our  pikes.  But  his  skin  was  in  great  danger  when 
a  troop  of  our  "boys"  went  shouting  after  him. 
We  always  pitied,  but  always  killed  him  when  we 
could.  The  way  he  sometimes  showed  his  teeth 
at  us  gave  stimulating  assurance  that  he  had  the 
will  to  kill  us  without  the  pity. 

The  early  part  of  August,  1850,  found  us  once 
more  afloat  in  tolerably  clear  water.     The  squaa- 


I  i 


M 


•1  V 


I'' 


il 


'33 


i 

1 

ilii 

..i 

<  I 
I  t 


ri 


U 


,;|   1 

i|., 

!*:!■' 

1'  i 

iN 

;|         . 

h. 

■M 

;J,: 

If 

''lii 

'■■;i     .! 

:    1  ■! 

198 


Arctic  Heroes. 


run  having  scparalctl  when  drifting  in  the  floes,  a 
vexatious  delay  occurred  to  enable  all  the  vessels 
to  come  together  again. 

AVhile  thus  waiting  we  saw  in  the  ha/y  distance 
a  schooner  with  two  smaller  crafts  in  attendance, 
"i'hey  J.ung  upon  our  rear  for  several  days  before 
we  could  make  out  what  they  were.  On  (losing 
up  they  i)roved  to  be  the  "  l'"elix,"  a  searching  ves- 
sel, commanded  by  the  veteran  exi)lorer.  Sir  John 
Ross,  with  a  small  sailing-boat  towing  astern,  and 
the  "  Prince  Albert,"  in  charge  of  Commander 
Forsyth.  Their  news  from  England  was  joyfully 
received,  it  being  a  month  later  than  uAT  own. 
All  our  friends  were  well  and  all  hojjeful  of  our 
success.  We  put  these  last  letters  from  home 
away  to  read  and  reread  in  the  dark,  long  arctic 
winter,  when,  may  be,  clouds  might  be  darkening 
our  prospects  of  ever  seeing  again  the  loved  ones 
who  wrote  them. 

Our  course  was  now  one  through  alternate  floes 
and  open  water.  On  the  ninth  of  August  Captain 
Penny  slipped  into  a  narrow  lane  of  water  and 
shot  ahead  of  our  squadron,  and  the  new  comers 
did  the  same.  The  steamers  themselves  seemed 
to  resent  this  dropping  into  the  stern  chase. 
Three  weary  days  had  they  chaffed  behind  a  bar- 
rier of  ice  two  or  three  hundred  yards  broad  and 
three  feet  thick.  They  could  endure  it  no  longer, 
and  they  addressed  themselves  to  the  work  of 
its  destruction.  Its  weakest  part  was  carefully 
studied.  The  incumbrance  of  the  ships  was  for 
the  time  shaken  off.     The  larger  part  of  the  crews 


StcaminiT  thryudt  Icc-Floes. 


199 


I! 


crews 


were  sent  to  tlie  place  of  attack,  with  short  hand- 
lines,  claws,  iron  hars,  chisels,  and  various  other 
tools.  Sonic  of  the  oUiccrs  accompanied  them 
with  gun[)Owcler. 

All  bein|j;  ready,  the  j)roj)ellers,  in  turn,  drew 
back,  and,  with  a  full  head  of  steam,  rushed  at  the 
floe.  The  wedge-bow  penetrated,  crushing  many 
tons  and  cracking  the  ice  in  every  direction.  The 
crushed  i)ortions  floated  awjy  of  themselves.  'I"he 
cracked  and  loosened  parts  were  immediatelv 
manned  by  the  blue  jackets  with  lung  lines  in 
hand;  men  on  tlie  bows  of  the  steamer  held  tht, 
other  end  of  this  line,  she  shot  astern,  carrying 
great  rafts  of  ice,  and  the  jolly  men  who  were 
upon  them.  Wiien  one  steamer  went  thus  astern, 
the  other  dashed  into  the  breach.  The  gun- 
powder, the  while,  dealt  the  icy  barrier  hard  blows. 
The  scene  was  exciting,  and  the  blood  warmed  in 
our  veins  in  spite  of  arctic  cold.  The  enemy 
surrendered  at  discretion,  and  the  next  morning 
we  were  steaming  joyously  on  after  the  Ross  and 
Penny  squadrons,  dragging  our  clumsy  ships  at 
our  heels.  Myriads  of  birds  crossed  our  track,  so 
stupidly  tame  that  we  might  have  taken  tons  of 
them. 

Our  steamers  soon  caught  up  with  the  "  Felix  " 
and  the  "  Prince  Albert,"  and  avenged  themselves 
of  the  late  stern  chase  by  taking  them  both  in 
tow. 

August    13th    we    were    steaming    under   Cape 

York;    Melville   Bay  was   passed;    its   turbulent 

waters  and  icy  barriers  w^re  conquered  ;  "  large 
13 


r 


I    ';-1 


i 


'm 


im 


w 


■  H 


U  '  i 


\l 


'It, 
j|l;lf 


^? 


1^ 


-i 

i  i 


?^  I ' 


I 


M  ' 


•i! 


^    I 


200 


Arctic  Heroes. 


waters  "  stretched  away  to  the  west  and  invited  us 
on  our  desired  course.  The  "Assistance"  and 
"Intrepid  "  paused  at  Cape  York  to  communicate 
with  the  natives,  while  our  steamer  pushed  on. 
"We  passed  Penny,  who,  though  he  knew  the  "  Fe- 
lix "  had  letters  for  him  from  home,  held  stead- 
fastly on  his  course,  Avith  characteristic  pluck. 

In  the  evening  the  "  Intrepid  "  overtook  us  with 
orders  to  turn  back.  Imi)ortant  information,  it 
was  said,  had  been  obtained  of  an  Esquimo  con- 
cerning the  fate  of  Franklin.  The  "Intrepid," 
having  left  us  this  order,  pushed  on  after  Penny  to 
get  his  well-tried  Danish  interpreter,  Mr.  Peter- 
sen. Incredulous  as  to  the  story  of  the  Esquimo, 
we  reluctantly  turned  our  prow  from  the  coveted 
western  shores  of  Baffin  Bay. 


Significant  Relics, 


201 


4- 
f 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

S  I  G  N  I  IT  C  A  N  T     RELICS. 

'T^MI':  story,  on  account  of  which  the  exploring 
X  fleet  was  detained,  was  rej)eated  on  the 
deck  of  the  '^Pioneer."  The  relator  was  Adam 
Beck,  a  South  (Ireenland  Esfjuimo,  who  had  re- 
ceived from  the  white  settlements  what  civilization 
he  had.  His  story,  in  brief,  was  this:  That  two 
ships  were  crushed  in  the  ice  a  little  north  of  Cape 
York,  where  we  now  were,  in  1846  ;  some  of  their 
men  wore  epaulets;  the  entire  crew  were  soon 
after  murdered  by  the  natives. 

Mr.  Petersen,  the  Danish  interpreter,  regarded 
the  whole  story  as  a  pure  fiction,  and  charged  Beck 
with  lying,  in  the  expectation  that  his  stoVy  would 
induce  some  of  the  ships  to  return,  and  he  by  this 
means   get   a   passage   to   South   Greenland.     An 
Esquimo  lately  taken  on  board  our  steamer  took 
the  same  view.     We,  of  the  "Pioneer,"  regardec 
Beck  as  a  liar.     But  Sir  John  Ross,  of  the  "  Felix  " 
gave  some  credit  to  the  story,  so  our  commander, 
Austin,  sent  the  "  As^,\stance  "  and  "  Intre])id  "  to 
make  further  inquiry  about  the  region  named  as 
the  scene  of  the  wrecks  and  murder;    thry  were 
also  to  ascertain  the  fact  about  a  shij)  which   the 
natives  agreed  had  wintered  safely  in  that  region 
the  last  season.    This  ship  proved  to  be  the  "  North 


|ii 


f": 


)M 


'ti 

i 

l(f 

f 

i 

» 

'a 

>^           '^ 

>'l 

,      '        -S        ill 
,            '.       Hi 

'< 


■  -y  'iv^i 


li'i 


■li 


202 


Arctic  Heroes. 


iii'i 


Star."  Having  done  this  errand,  the  "Assistance" 
and  "  Intrepid  "  were  to  cross  to  the  west  side, 
and  examine  the  north  shore  of  Lancaster  Sound. 

On  the  15th  of  August  we,  the  "  Pioneer,"  with 
the  "  Resohite  "'  and  "  Prince  Albert  "  in  tow, 
gUidly  started  again  westward.  After  four  hours 
of  the  old  experience  with  the  ice-pack,  we  reached 
the  western  waters.  For  forty-seven  days  we  had 
l)cen  in  almost  perpetual  conflict  with  ice.  It 
had  beset  us  behind  and  before.  In  calm  and 
storm,  by  day  and  night,  whether  we  slept  or  woke, 
off  or  on  our  guard,  it  never  left  us,  except  for  a 
brief  moment,  that  it  might  gather  strength  for 
a  fiercer  attack.  Such  had  been  Melville  Bay. 
But  here  was  nothing  except  water  !  How  beauti- 
ful !  Even  the  great  giants  of  the  north,  the  ice- 
bergs, watchful  sentinels  of  the  regions  of  cold, 
only  seldom  showed  here  their  majestic  forms. 
We  turned  our  bows  south-west,  and  steamed  on 
both  night  and  day.  Our  only  annoyance  was  a 
dismal  fog,  but  through  it  we  steered.  At  one 
time,  a  spanking  breeze  starting  up,  the  "  Resolute," 
setting  all  sail,  took  our  steamer  in  tow,  and  for  four 
hours  returned  our  favor,  in  part,  of  long  and  weary 
hours  of  towing.  It  was  a  capital  joke,  and  we  en- 
joyed it. 

We  were  soon  at  the  mouth  of  Lancaster  Sound, 
where  we  dropped  the  "  Prince  Albert,"  to  proceed 
to  Regent  Inlet,  while  we  explored  for  awhile  a 
little  further  south. 

On  the  26th  of  August,  after  days  of  a  calm  sea, 
wc  were  running  from  the  north  side  of  Lancaster 


Significant  Relics. 


203 


Sound,  toward  the  south-west,  across  the  entrance 
to  Regent  Inlet,  toward  Leopold  Ishmd.  A  piping 
breeze  was  after  us,  giving  assurance  of  an  arctic 
gale.  Ahead  Cape  York  gleamed  luridly  through 
an  angry  sky,  while  the  falling  mercury  warned  us 
that  the  clear  sea,  with  which  we  cared  not  for  the 
tempest,  might  at  any  time  give  place  to  our  old 
enemy,  the  floes.  The  "  Pioneer "  rolled  and 
pitched  like  a  sea-monster  in  mental  agony,  and 
refused  all  the  devices  of  her  staggering  ofticers  to 
comfort  her.  About  half-})ast  one  in  the  morning 
the  lifting  of  an  angry  sky  gave  us  glimpses, 
through  snow  and  squalls,  of  a  i)recipitous  coast 
not  far  ahead  of  us.  Increasing  daylight  shoived 
us  an  intervening  pack,  along  whose  edge  the  gale 
made  the  sea  boil,  and  sent  over  it  clouds  of 
spray.  It  was  a  wild,  terrific  sight,  and  would  have 
been  a  scene  to  enjoy  but  for  the  serious  work  it 
was  likely  to  give  us.  It  wore  away  to  the  north. 
Toward  the  close  of  the  day  we  were  not  far  from 
Beechey  Island,  near  the  mouth  of  Wellington 
Channel.  We  were  having  ni<ihts  now  that  were 
not  all  daylight,  and  the  welcome  moon  shone 
beautifully  as  the  sun  dipped  behind  North  Devon. 
While  we  were  admiring  the  scene  the  man  at  the 
mast-head  startled  us  with  the  shout,  " /v  sail  I  " 
It  proved  to  be  Penny's  "Sophia."  Yes,  Captain 
Penny  was  at  hand  as  usual.  Two  officers  came 
on  board,  and  gave  us  the  following  welcome 
intelligence  : — 

The  "  Intrepid  "  and  "Assurance  "  had  cruised 
about  the  locality  where,  according  to  Adam  Beck's 


\.- 


•;k 


ml 


m 


204 


Arctic  Heroes. 


!     I. 


.    ■     ^J'i 


411    ■•"! 


1H^ 


*'h 


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P 


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it.  r  > 


.;  •!  Ill 


story,  two  shi[)S  luid,  in  1846,  been  crushed.  But 
they  found  nothing,  either  in  relics  or  the  talk  of  the 
natives,  to  confirm  the  tale.  They  had  ascertained, 
liowever,  that  the  exploring  vessel,  the  "  North 
Star,"  had  si)ent  comfortably  the  last  Avinter  there. 
JUit  since  following  us  into  Lancaster  Sound  their 
searching  had  been  well  repaid.  They  had  found 
at  Ca})e  Riley,  the  eastern  land-side  of  the  mouth 
of  Wellington  Channel,  numerous  traces  of  a  visit 
from  English  seamen.  Bits  of  rope,  broken  bottles, 
a  part  of  a  deep-sea  rake,  and  the  various  marks  of 
an  encampment,  were  scattered  here  and  there. 

Having  found  these  stimulating  relics,  a  boat- 
load of  officers  and  men  visited  Beechey  Island, 
lying  just  a  little  seaward  of  the  cape.  They 
picked  'ip  on  the  shore  more  relics  of  English 
visitors.  Looking  sharply  about  they  observed 
upon  a  cliff,  which  rose  sharply  from  the  beach,  a 
cairn — a  rounded  heap  of  stones.  With  almost 
breathless  haste  and  deep  solicitude  they  ascended 
the  cliff  and  removed  the  stones  carefully,  one  by 
one.  But  no  word  of  writing  or  further  clew  to 
the  identity  of  those  raising  the  cairn  was  found. 
While  standing  with  disappointed-looking  faces 
about  the  upturned  foundation  of  the  monumental 
pile,  they  saw  with  alarm  a  hungry  polar  bear  trot- 
ting boldly  toward  the  two  men  left  in  charge  of 
the  boat.  None  of  the  party  had  brought  arms 
of  any  kind  from  the  vessel.  Here  was  a  fix! 
The  men  launched  the  boat  and  rowed  in  haste  to 
the  steamer.  Bruin  gave  chase.  Now  what  if  he 
turns  back  and  attacks  the  unarmed  party  on  the 


Significant  Relics. 


205 


island  I  He  seemed,  before  giving  chase,  to  have 
deliberately  surveyed  the  whole  party,  both  those 
on  the  hill  as  well  as  the  men  in  the  boat,  and  to 
comprehend  the  situation.  But  he  scorned  to 
attack  the  defenseless;  or,  perhaps,  he  had  heard 
rumors  of  these  strangers  which  led  him  to  think 
that  it  was  wisdom  to  give  them  a  wide  berth.  He 
followed  the  boat  a  rod  or  two,  turned  off  and 
swam  for  the  ice-pack,  on  which  he  soon  dis- 
appeared. We  think  there  were  no  more  unarmed 
visitors  on  the  island  during  the  season. 

Captain  Penny  having  heard  of  these  traces,  as 
all  believed,  of  Sir  John  Franklin,  returned  to  his 
own  ship,  as  he  declared,  "  to  take  up  the  search 
from  Cape  Riley  like  a  blood-hound."  This  he 
did  with  good  results.  He  soon  reported  that 
another  camping-ground  was  discovered.  The 
tent-floor  was  neatly  paved  with  stones.  Bird 
bones  were  strewn  around,  and  remnants  of  meat- 
canisters  found  of  unmistakable  English  make. 

The  American  Grinnell  Expedition,  in  the  "Ad- 
vance "  and  "  Rescue,"  on  the  same  errand  as  our- 
selves, under  the  command  of  Lieutenant  De 
Haven,  was  now  joined  with  our  squadrons  in  the 
exciting  search.  The  shores  of  the  entire  vicinity, 
in  a  sweep  '^f  many  miles,  were  likely  to  be  closely 
examined.  Here  were  now  our  four  vessels.  Penny's 
two.  Sir  John  Ross's  "Felix  "  and  her  tender,  the 
"Mary,"  and  the  American  "Advance"  and 
"  Rescue."  Penny,  as  usual,  was  in  luck,  and 
soon  found  evidence  of  more  tent-encampments. 
But,  as  he  was  carefully  examining  one  day  the 


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Ill- I 


206 


Arctic  Heroes. 


southern  slope  of  Reechey  Island,  he  found  a  large 
number  of  preserved  meat-tins.  A  rounded  pile 
of  these,  filled  with  sand,  was  discovered  on  the 
top  of  the  slope;  but  a  careful  removal  of  these, 
can  by  can,  revealed  no  documents. 

Beyond  these,  and  farther  north,  Avere  still  more 
important  relics.  The  site  of  a  carpenter's  shop, 
an  armorer's  working  place,  washing-tubs,  coal- 
bags,  pieces  of  old  clothing  and  rope;  and,  lastly, 
the  decisive  evidence  of  the  English  visitors,  *hree 
graves.  These  were  scrupulously  neat,  like  all 
the  graves  of  Englishmen,  even  of  the  poor,  whether 
in  the  rural  cemeteries  at  home  or  on  foreign 
shores.  The  inscrii)tions  contained  no  inflated 
verse.     They  were  as  follows  : — 

"Sacred  to  the  memory  of  J.  Torrinton,  who 
departed  this  life  January  i,  1846,  on  board  H.  M.  S. 
'  Terror,'-aged  20  years." 

"Sacred  to  the  memory  of  \Vm.  Braine,  R.  N., 
of  H.  M.S.  'Erebus;'  died  April  3, 1846,  aged  32." 

"'Choose  you  this  day  whom  ye  will  serve.' 
Joshua  xxiv,  15." 

"Sacred  to  the  memory  of  J.  Hartwell,  A.  B., 
of  H.  M.  S.  *  Erebus,'  died  January  4,  1846,  aged 
25  years." 

"  '  Thus  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts  ;  Consider  your 
ways.'  Haggai  i,  7." 

Here  then,  at  last,  was  decisive  proof  that  Frank- 
lin's ships  were  not  crushed  by  the  ice  in  Baffin 
Bay,  nor  the  men  murdered  by  the  natives.  Thus 
far  we  were  on  the  right  track.  Now,  if  in  some 
of  the  monuments  of  stone,  such  as  we  had  dis- 


Significant  Relics. 


207 


covered,  ])iit  up  beyond  a  doiil)t  by  the  men  of  the 
"Erebus"  and  "Terror,"  we  could  find  a  docu- 
ment left  by  Franklin,  telling  us  the  route  taken 
by  him  after  leaving  Beechey  Island,  all  the  ex- 
ploring squadrons  would  joyfully  face  any  danger 
in  following  him.  To  find  such  a  record  now 
engaged  the  attention  of  every  ship's  company. 
Much  additional  evidence  was  obtained  that  he 
had  made  Beechey  Island  his  first  winter-quarters  ; 
but  no  documents  were  found. 

Winter  was  now  well  upon  us.  The  American 
vessels  took  a  courteous  leave  of  us,  and  bore 
away,  as  they  had  been  ordered,  for  New  York. 
By  the  middle  of  September  our  squadron  were 
caught  in  a  floe,  a  mile  from  (Griffith  Island,  the 
nearest  land,  where  we  were  obliged  to  make  a 
stop  for  the  winter.  Captain  Penny  and  Sir  John 
Ross,  with  their  vessels,  had  chosen  snug  winter 
retreats  twenty  miles  from  us,  near  Beechey  Island. 

It  was  arranged  for  the  three  squadrons  to  take 
three  different  routes  m  the  spring :  one  to  the 
north-west,  up  Wellington  Channel ;  one  west, 
past  if  possible  Melville  Island ;  and  the  third 
south-west,  beyond  Cape  Walker,  along  the  west- 
ern shore  of  Boothia.  During  October  parties 
were  sent  out  as  far  as  possible  in  these  directions  to 
make  deposits  of  provisions,  securing  them  from  the 
bears'  sharp  teeth  and  strong  paws  by  heaps  of  stones. 

One  of  these  parties  were  saved  from  a  plunge 
into  the  water,  if  not  from  drowning,  by  the 
sagacity  of  a  shaggy  polar  who  was  at  the  time  on 
a  hunting  excursion.     The  officer  in  charge  had 


i^ 


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i 

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If 

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f  1: 1  i 'i! 


208 


Arctic  Heroes. 


not  noticed  that  he  was  getting  on  newly  formed 
and  weak  ice.  Just  ahead  was  bruin  cautiously 
feeling  his  way  along  by  stojjping  occasionally  and 
jumping  upon  the  ice  to  try  its  strength.  The 
explorers  took  the  hint  of  caution  and  soon  found 
reason  to  do  so.  We  are  sorry  to  record  that  they 
sliot  their  good  adviser,  and  subsequently  dragged 
him  to  the  ship  for  dog  food. 

One  illustration  of  our  manner  of  camping  on 
these  excursions  will  answer  to  show  their  general 
character. 

There  are  seven  of  us,  officers  and  men ;  com- 
mon labor  and  peril  pretty  much  removing  official 
distinction.  It  is  an  October  evening.  One  al- 
most unbroken  mantle  of  white  covers  sea  and 
land.  It  is  a  dreary  monotony,  and  all  nature 
seems  to  shiver  in  the  frosty  atmosphere.  We 
make  a  "  soft  spot,"  by  clearing  away  the  larger 
pieces  of  limestone,  and  arranging  the  smaller 
pieces  into  something  like  a  floor  of  paved  work. 
We  erect  our  brown  Holland  tent  over  this.  One 
of  us  is  cook  for  the  day,  aided  by  one  who  will 
be  cook  to-morrow.  The  cooking  apparatus  is  a 
boats'  stove,  eighteen  inches  long  and  nine  broad, 
in  which  lignum  viiic  is  used  as  fuel.  Water  is 
obtained  by  melting  the  snow,  and  then  the  boil- 
ing and  cooking  is  done  in  the  open  air,  and  so 
supper  is  not  hurried  up  wdth  boarding-house 
promptness. 

While  two  are  thus  employed,  others  take  guns 
and  try  their  luck  in  securing  fresh  provisions. 
Bear  meat   is  not  sought  after  just  now,  and  the 


';,   I 


guns 


Significant  Relics. 


209 


animal  under  whose  skin  such  meat  grows  har. 
liberty  to  keej)  botli  his  skin  and  flesh  and  give 
our  camj)  a  wide  berth. 

The  hunters  having  returned,  tlic  cook  reports, 
— "Supper  is  ready,  sir."  It  is  -x  pcmmican  sup- 
per! It  is  supposed  \.o  be  made  of  the  best  rump- 
steaks  and  suet,  worth  a  shilling  and  six-pence  a 
pound.  Our  men  generally  vote  it  composed  of 
worn-out  horses  and  Russia  tallow.  Ii  is  not 
sweet  in  savor,  though  strong  in  nourishment. 
To  the  dainty  it  is  nauseous,  but  to  an  arctic 
appetite,  especially  to  those  making,  as  we  propose 
to  do,  sledge-journeys  of  four  or  five  hundred  con- 
tinuous miles,  it  is  a  delicious  morsel.  A  ''jolly 
hot  basin  of  tea,"  with  biscuit  to  crumb  into  it,  and 
our  dish  is  fit  "to  set  before  the  ([ueen." 

Supper  being  done,  the  tent  is  carefully  swept, 
and  the  pebbles  which  coraj^ose  our  bed  are  re- 
arranged. We  call  this  last  operation — "  Stirring 
up  the  feathers."  A  waterproof  blanket  is  thrown 
over  these  to  prevent  the  moisture  which  the 
warmth  of  our  bodies  raises  from  the  frosty  "  feath- 
ers "  from  wetting  us  through.  Boots  and  jackets 
are  taken  off  and  used  for  pillows.  Then  we  all, 
except  the  cook,  draw  our  legs  and  bodies  into 
blanket-bags,  roll  ourselves  up  in  wolf-skin  robes, 
and,  our  prayers  being  said,  we  are  about  ready 
to  compose  ourselves  to  sleep.  But  while  the 
cook  is  "clearing  up,"  getting  ready  the  breakfast 
for  cooking,  fastening  down  the  tent,  and  seeing 
that  every  thing  is  in  order,  many  a  tough  yarn  is 
told,  and  laughter-exciting  joke  made.     After  a 


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210 


Arctic  Heroes. 


while  the  cook,  having  "tucked  us  in,"  shouts — 
"All  riL;hl !  "  Then  we,  seven  jolly  explorers, 
lying  alternately  head  and  feet  across  the  tent, 
"cuddle  down  "  and  sleep  ;  yes,  sleep  soundly,  with 
the  thermometer  outside  30°  below  zero. 

An  arctic  winter  was  now,  November  8,  fairly 
Uj)on  us.  We  obtained  to-day  the  last  glimpse  of 
the  sun.  Two  of  us  went  upon  the  heights  of 
(Iriffith  Island  at  mid-day,  and  saw  his  i)leasant 
face,  though  he  was  in  fact  seventeen  miles  below 
the  horizon.  We  were  indebted  to  refraction  for 
this  last  adieu  from  the  King  of  Day.  However 
hopeful  of  the  future  we  might  be,  and  possessed 
as  we  certainly  were  with  more  occasion  for  cour- 
age than  most  other  sojourners  in  the  long  arctic 
night,  the  bravest  needed  to  stay  his  mind  upon 
God.  This,  we  trust,  many  at  least  of  our  com- 
pany felt.  The  religious  services  of  our  vessel 
had  a  more  solemn  meaning.  The  prayers  were 
deeper  toned.  The  following  form  of  supplica- 
tion, written  for  us  before  we  I'eft  England,  and 
included  among  the  thoughtful  presents  of  kind 
friends,  was  used  with  profit : — 

"  O  Lord,  our  Heavenly  Father,  who  teachest 
man  knowledge,  and  givest  skill  and  power  to  ac- 
complish his  designs,  we  desire  continually  to 
wait,  and  call,  and  depend  upon  thee.  Thy  way 
is  in  the  sea,  and  thy  paths  in  the  great- waters. 
Thou  rulest  and  commandest  all  things.  We 
therefore  draw  nigh  unto  thee  for  help  in  the  great 
work  which  we  now  have  to  do. 

"  Leave  us  not,  we  beseech  thee,  to  our  own 


SigiiiJicaHt  Relics. 


211 


own 


counsel,  nor  to  the  imaginations  of  our  foolish 
and  deceitful  hearts;  but  lead  us  l»y  the  way 
wherein  we  should  go.  Do  thou,  ()  Lord,  make 
our  way  ])rosperous,  and  give  us  good  success. 
Bring  all  needful  things  to  our  rememl)rance ;  and 
where  we  have  not  the  presence  of  mind,  nor  the 
ability,  to  perform  thy  will,  magnify  thy  power  in 
our  weakness.  Let  thy  good  ))rovidence  be  our 
aid  and  protection,  and  thy  Holy  Si)irit  our  (luide 
and  Comforter.  Endue  us  with  such  strength  and 
patience  as  may  carry  us  through  every  toil  and 
danger,  whether  by  sea  or  land;  and,  if  it  be  thy 
good  pleasure,  vouchsafe  to  us  a  safe  return  to  our 
families  and  homes. 

"  Bless  us  all  with  thy  favor,  which  is  life,  and 
with  all  spiritual  blessings  in  Christ  Jesus;  and 
grant  us  so  to  pass  the  waves  of  this  troublesome 
world,  that  finally  we  may  come  unto  thine  ever- 
lasting kingdom.  Grant  this  for  thy  dear  Son's 
sake,  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen." 

A  glance  at  our  good  ship,  inside  and  out,  and 
at  what  is  going  on  in  and  around  her,  may  inter- 
est the  reader :  Our  upper  decks  are  now  cleared 
of  all  the  lumber  and  covered  in  ;  boats  secured 
on  the  ice ;  the  warming  apparatus  set  at  work ; 
masts  and  yards  made  as  snug  as  possible ;  rows 
of  posts  set  up  to  show  the  road  in  the  darkness 
and  snow-storms,  from  ship  to  ship ;  hole  cut  in 
the  ice,  >.o  be  kept  always  open,  for  a  supply  of 
water  in  case  of  fire,  and  a  winter  round  of  duties 
entered  upon  to  keep  up  the  discipline,  cheerful- 
ness, and  health  of  the  men. 


i'i 


V : 


:'  i 


■I 

'•■     I:'. 

'.     i', 

■  ii'  Ml: 

M 


fill 


II 


I  i 

I 


I  I 


I 


'f 


U   ' 


-  I 


,       f*'. 


mi 

j    : 

1 

1 

i 

f   ■ 

1 
: 

1       f 

it 

if  I 


11 


Hi 


f 


212 


Arctic  Heroes. 


This  work  being  done — the  rm/  work  was  easily 
and  soon  done — tlie  men  found  ])lcasure  and 
healthful  enij)loyment  in  rciK\vin;j;  the  sports  of 
boyh(jod.  They  built  snow  walls,  houses,  and 
forts,  such  as  all  boys  in  the  lands  where  snow  is 
found  have  delighted  to  build.  They  cut  out  of 
the  snow  obelisks,  sphinxes,  vases,  and  cannon. 
'I'hese  were  sometimes  carved  with  taste  and  skill, 
and  gave  the  floes  a  picturescjue  appearance.  Uut 
their  greatest  triumph  in  snow  sculjjture  was  in  the 
statue  of  liritannia.  Its  stately  form,  looking 
west,  was  admired  by  all. 

.  These  out-door  amusements  were,  of  course, 
only  for  awhile.  When  tliey  failed  the  wits  and 
tact  of  the  officers  were  drawn  out  to  keej)  every 
mind  healthfully  exercised.  Schools,  religious  serv- 
ices, newspapers — one  an  illustrated  sheet — a  ( lub- 
room,  a  saloon,  dramatic  performances,  mask  balls, 
and  instructive  lectures — all  claimed  a  share  of 
attention.  Artists  and  musicians,  orators  and 
teachers,  common  laborers  and  professional  men, 
were  all  represented  in  this  routine  of  instruction 
and  amusement.  Men  gifted  in  telling  the  stories 
of  the  "  olden  times,"  especially  if  they  could 
repeat  the  tales  concerning  early  arctic  heroes, 
were  always  sure  of  an  attentive  audience. 

It  is  a  day  of  total  darkness  so  far  as  the  sun  is 
concerned,  but  the  manner  in  which  it  is  spent 
fitly  represents  the  average  of  our  winter  days. 
Let  us  ste])  below.  The  lower  deck  and  cabins 
are  lighted  with  candles  and  lamps.  No  external 
air  is  admitted  except  that  which  is  under  control 


Si(^nifica}it  Relics. 


213 


as  it  passes  in  through  pii)cs  and  passes  out 
throujijh  ventilators.  Double  doors  are  rarefuUy 
adjusted  to  prevent  draughts.  It  is  breakfast- 
time.  Reeking  hot  cocoa  steams  on  every  niess- 
tabie.  We  are  not  on  "  short  rations,"  and  a 
hearty  meal  is  eaten.  This  done,  a  few  remain 
below  to  clear  u^)  and  arrange  for  dinner;  the 
rest  pull  on  warm  clothes  and  go  on  deck.  Here, 
after  the  domestic  work  below  is  done,  all  hands 
are  mustered.  The  officers  inspect  the  men  to 
see  if  they  are  clean,  watching  sharply  every  occa- 
sion of  disease.  The  shij)  is  then  examined  to 
sec  if  every  part  is  clean,  and  all  hands  disperse 
to  their  petty  labor,  and  then  amuse  themselves 
according  to  their  several  tastes.  The  ujn^'r 
deck  being  covered,  as  we  have  stated,  is  kept 
clear  for  gymnastic  exercises.  If  the  wind  is  not 
violent  a  few  venture  to  stroll  away  from  the  ship 
on  the  ice. 

At  noon  the  seamen  dine  on  soups,  and  pre- 
served meats  called  by  them  "salt  horse."  The 
officers  dine  later  on  fare  not  essentially  different. 
The  resources  of  the  men  in  inventing  entertain- 
ment flitgs  a  little  in  the  afternoon,  and  the  evening 
meal  with  hot  tea  comes  to  break  tlie  monotony. 
It  is  school  night,  and  the  pupils  go  to  their  self- 
imposed  tasks,  and  the  teachers  to  their  gratuitous 
service.  Bookish  men  con  over  some  interesting 
volume.  Artists  are  sketching  or  painting  by 
candle-light,  and  men  given  to  the  use  of  the  pen 
are  writing  up  their  journals,  or  putting  on  paper 
thoughts  born  under  the  inspiration  of  arctic  skies. 


y 


^ 


iM 


r 


i 


'I 


* 


"•&',t 


t'i 


'i    "'      t 


1    M' 


1 

'.'i  ■ 

*": 

'A 

id 

t 

,;i!!r.i;i!l 

214 


Arctic  Heroes. 


Music,  chess,  and  cards  receive  their  share  of 
attention,  while  social  conversation  is  seldom  wa.it- 
ing  in  vivacity  ;  and,  since  we  unfortunately  have 
not  learned  the  better  way,  cigars,  pipes,  and  grog 
bring  round  the  bed-time. 

But  in  spite  of  all  our  amusements,  labor,  study, 
conversation,  and  earnestly-cultivated  heroic  brav- 
ery of  which  we  boasted,  there  was  a  very  noticeable 
tendency  among  us  to  talk  of  England,  friends, 
and  home. 

While  the  above  methods  of  passing  the  time 
occupied  the  attention  generally,  there  were  some 
who  devoted  all  their  energies  to  render  successful 
the  object  of  our  search.  They  were  practicing 
the  various  ingenious  means,  put  into  our  hands 
before  we  left  home,  of  communicating  with  the 
lost  ones.  Rockets  in  the  calm  evenings  glowed 
and  flashed  along  the  sky,  and  were  responded  to 
by  Penny's  ships,  though  we  were  twenty  miles 
apart. 

We  employed  balloons  in  a  novel  way.  Those 
of  oil-silk,  capable  when  inflated  of  raising  a 
pound,  were  used.  When  one  was  all  ready  to 
ascend,  a  piece  of  slow  match  five  feet  long  was 
attached.  Along  this  match-rope,  at  short  inter- 
vals, pieces  of  colored  silk  and  paper  were  secured 
with  thread;  on  them  were  printed  information  of 
our  present  positior.  and  intended  lines  of  search 
in  the  si)ring.  The  balloons,  when  liberated,  rose 
and  sailed  away,  dropping  the  glaring  messages 
on  the  white  snow  as  the  match  burned.  Our 
silent  prayers  followed  them  that  they  might  fall 


)  I 


Significant  Relics. 


215 


,hare  of 
m  wiiiit- 
ely  have 
md  grog 

)r,  study, 
oic  brav- 
oticeable 
,  friends, 

the  time 
ere  some 
,uccessful 
practicing 
)ur  hands 
with  the 
5s  glowed 
)onded  to 
nty  miles 

Those 
raising    a 
ready  to 
long  was 
lort  inter- 
e  secured 
mation  of 
of  search 
ated,  rose 
messages 
id.      Our 
might  fall 


under  the  eye  of  some  one  belonging  to  the  lost 
ships.  Great  care  was  used  to  send  ihem  up  when 
the  wind  promised  to  carry  them  to  the  north  and 
north-west. 

A  few  fire-balloons  were  also  sent  up. 

It  was  vexatious  to  see  these  aerial  vessels  sail 
about  in  the  upper  currents  of  air  in  the  most 
fickle  manner.  Starting  off  north-west,  they  were 
soon  gliding  away  to  the  south-east,  altering  their 
course  several  times  before  disappearing  from  sight. 

The  greatest  distance  at  which  we  found  any  of 
these  pieces  of  silk  or  paper  was  fifty  miles.  Some 
may  have  gone  many  times  as  far. 

Another  means  of  communication  used  were 
carri'ir-pigeons.  We  of  the  "  Pioneer "  brought 
out  none  of  them,  and  wc  confess  that  we  were 
inclined  to  laugh  at  the  idea  of  these  birds  being 
able  to  reach  their  far-away  home  in  safety  if  dis- 
patched from  any  of  our  exploring  ships  ;  but  there 
were  four  of  them  on  board  the  "  Felix,"  given  to 
Sir  John  Ross  by  a  lady  friend  living  near  Ayr,  in 
Scotland.  He  agreed  to  set  two  of  them  at  liberty 
when  he  went  into  winter-quarters,  and  the  oiher 
two  when  Sir  John  Franklin  was  found.  On  the 
7th  of  October,  1850,  when  snugly  tucked  away  in 
his  harbor,  near  Beechey  Island,  he  sent  off  the 
youngest  couple.  They  were  put  into  a  basket 
attached  to  a  balloon,  a  slow  match  being  so 
arranged  as  to  liljerate  and  launch  them  into  the 
air,  to  commence  their  flight  at  the  expiration  of 
twenty-four  hours.  The  balloon  ascended  to  com- 
mence its  aerial  voyage  when  it  was  supposed  that 
14 


^1 

11 


\n 


^■'\ 


r      f 


:i|i  -I';:'! 


\l     .     I 


1 1 
II 


216 


Arctic  Heroes, 


the  atmospheric  current  -would  bear  it  many  miles 
their  -.vay.  It  blew  a  gale  at  the  time  and  the 
temperature  was  below  zero.  In  about  five  days 
one  of  them,  as  the  lady  owner  affirmed,  reached 
the  dove-cot  where  it  was  l)orn.  It  had  disen- 
cumbered itself  somehow  of  the  message  with 
which  it  was  intrusted,  though  its  feathers  bore 
evidence  of  its  having  started  with  one.  The  dis- 
tance in  an  air  line  was  not  less  than  twenty-four 
hundred  miles;  the  distance  which  the  balloon 
had  borne  it  we,  of  course,  cannot  tell,  but  its  sus- 
tained flight  on  the  wing  must  have  been  truly 
wonderful. 

The  experiments  we  made  to  use  kites  as  signals 
to  parties  at  a  distance  were  not  very  successful; 
but  we  used  them  to  good  purpose.  When  our 
sledges  were  running  before  a  strong  wind  on 
level  and  smooth  ice  we  let  fly  the  kites  as  sail ,, 
and  with  shouts  and  laughter  sped  on  our  way. 
But,  of  course,  we  could  not  often  have  smooth 
sailing  and  a  fair  breeze,  so  that  for  the  greater 
part  of  the  time  the  sails  were  a  dead  weight  on  us. 

There  was  among  us  another  device  for  convcv- 
ing  intelligence  to  our  lost  friends,  though  it  must  be 
confessed  we  adopted  it  more  for  amusement  than 
in  confidence  of  its  success.  Curious  little  arctic 
foxt:.  were  slyly  peering  about  our  ships.  Some  of 
these  we  caught,  fixed  a  brass  collar  on  them,  on 
which  our  message  was  engraved,  and  then  set  them 
free.  The  discharge  of  on^  of  these  foxy  postmen 
was  a  signal  of  a  general  chase  by  officers  and  men, 
with   bursts  of   laughter    and   wild    shouts   which, 


Significant  Relics. 


217 


issful ; 
in  our 

d  on 
sail ,, 
way. 

rnooth 
greater 

on  us. 

invcy- 

uist  be 
t  than 
arctic 
me  of 

jem,  on 
t  them 

ostmen 
d  men, 
which, 


at  times,  seemed  so  to  bewilder  them  that  they 
ran  hither  and  thither,  making  their  capture  easy 
if  we  had  desired  it.  A  more  courteous  dismissal 
would,  we  think,  have  better  disposed  them  to  a 
faithful  delivery  of  our  messages. 

These  liberated  foxes  were  presumed  to  immi- 
grate to  distant  and  more  friendly  ncighborl  oods 
after  this  rough  experience.  But  it  leaked  out 
that  the  "  men  "  in  the  forecastle  were  nightly  re- 
capturing these  collared  gentlemen,  making  dainty 
meals  of  their  flesh,  and  lacking  away  their  skins 
for  future  speculations  with  fur-dealers.  Orders 
were  promptly  issued  that  foxes  taken  alive  must 
be  liberated.  Jack,  from  the  going  forth  of  this 
edict,  took  good  care  that  all  foxes  putting  their 
noses  into  the  traps  should  be  found  dead.  The 
fact  seemed  to  be  that  these  cunning  animals  liked 
the  fare  they  scented  and  occasionally  tasted  about 
our  ships,  and  were  willing  to  risk  their  lives  in 
getting  a  second  taste  ;  they  seemed  in  nowise  in- 
clined to  do  our  errands  to  our  lost  friends. 

The  dark  winter  passed  thus  away.  On  the 
7th  of  February,  1851,  a  man  at  the  mast-head 
proclaimed  the  good  news  that  the  sun  had  re- 
turned. The  rigging  of  all  the  vessels  was  soon 
manned  to  get  a  glimpse  of  his  welcome  face.  He 
had  been  absent  three  months.  He  was  greeted 
with  prolonged  and  hearty  cheers.  For  one  whole 
hour  he  blessed  us  by  his  presence  and  then  re- 
tired, promising  us  a  longer  stay  each  successive 
day  until  he  should  pay  us  the  long  summer  visit. 

Preparations  were  now  hurried  forward  for  the 


m 


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m 


.4 


!•' 


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1  » 

1   t 

', 

jt 

■ 

' 

■    I 

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'if 

» 

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r 

rl 

;• 

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^,il<: 


;i 


rUli 


[: 


'I 


it'i'i 


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I'l'^l!  I 


i' ! 


,  i-:. 

i 

N- 

1^^ 

* 

1    ^ 

1  ■         '1 

i 

7 

2!8 


Arctic  Heroes. 


proposed  sledging.  Time  flew  on  rapid  wings, 
and  April  was  upon  us  before  we  were  fully  ready 
for  it.  Five  hundred  men,  British  and  Americans, 
were  astir  within  the  frigid  zone,  aiming  at  the 
same  result — that  of  saving  Sir  John  Franklin. 

The  men  of  our  squadron  were  mus*^ered,  on  the 
T2th  of  April,  under  a  projecting  poini  of  Griffith 
Island,  to  be  inspected  by  our  chief.  1  his  done, 
we  returned  to  our  ship  and  spent  the  i!'abbath 
quietly,  having  religious  service,  and  in^lulging 
some  sober  though  not  depressed  feelings  in  ref- 
erence to  the  responsible  and  Irborious  duties 
which  we  were  to  enter  upon  on  Monday.  But 
that  day  came  breezy  with  blinding  snow.  Tues- 
day evening  came  with  abated  wind,  and  the 
thermometer  o/i/y  fourteen  degrees  below  zero,  so 
we  donned  our  traveling  gear,  harnessed  ourselves 
to  the  sledges,  listened  to  a  brief  but  earnest 
prayer,  in  which  we  were  commended  to  God's 
providential  care,  and  started. 

We  will  not  detain  the  reader  with  the  details 
of  our  desperate  struggles  over  hummocks,  our  suf- 
ferings from  snow  blindness  and  frost  bites,  and 
our  varied  perils  and  the  unflinching  bravery  of  our 
men  for  fifty-eight  days.  Our  return  journey  was 
five  hundred  miles  in  a  direct  line.  The  last  day 
homeward  we  made  twenty-five  miles.  This  may 
attest  the  pluck  with  which  we  closed  our  search. 
The  other  sledge  parties  returned  soon  after.  Only 
one  man  had  fallen,  and  he  faltered  at  the  be- 
ginning. No  additional  information  concerning 
Sir  John  had  been  obtained.    Penny's  sledge  parties 


Significant  Relics.  219 

to  the  north-west  had  been  equally  unsuccessful. 
No  news  of  the  lost  ones  came  from  any  explor- 
ing party,  though  thousands  of  miles  had  been 
traversed  ♦^o  secure  it. 

Our  icy  fetters  having  fallen  olf  on  the  nth  of 
August,  the  steamers  took  their  ships  in  tow  and 
once  more  pushed  out  of  Lancaster  Sound.  Cap- 
tain Penny's  ships  left  for  England  at  the  same 
time,  and  Sir  John  Ross  was  homeward  bound. 
Our  squadron  spent  a  few  weeks  in  vain  search 
further  north,  when  we,  too,  squared  awav  for 
"home,  s>veet  home." 


\\ 


. 


l\ 


rod's 


i 


M 


41    >! 


'  '^'i      *l 


220 


Arctic  Heroes. 


!   HI 


CHAPTER  XX. 

YANKEE      ICE-FIGHTING. 

WE  have  referred  to  the  fact  that  the  people 
and  Government  of  the  United  States  were 
r(jt  idle  spectators  of  the  efforts  of  England  to 
save  her  lost  explorers.  The  American  interest 
in  the  searching  expeditions  sent  out  in  1848  from 
England  was  preparing  the  public  mind  for  one 
which  should  fly  the  stars  and  strij^es.  To  prompt 
this  interest,  Lady  Franklin  wrote  to  the  President. 
Through  him  she  called  upon  us,  ''  as  a  kindred 
people,  to  join  heart  and  hand  in  the  enterprise 
of  L  latching  the  lost  navigators  from  a  dreary 
grave." 

Congress  moved  in  the  matter,  but  with  a  tardi- 
ness which  belongs  to  "great  bodies,"  Delay  in 
this  business  was  the  assurance  of  failure,  so  that 
the  coming  forward  just  in  time  of  a  princely 
merchant  of  New  York,  tendering  a  part  of  the 
resources  of  his  purse,  saved  probably  the  credit 
of  our  nation  in  reference  to  the  arctic  search. 
Mr.  Henry  Grinnell  fitted  out  two  of  his  vessels, 
and  gave  them  for  the  enterprise  to  the  Govern- 
ment, The  President,  under  the  authority  of 
Congress,  detailed  from  the  navy  such  officers  and 
seamen  to  man  them  as  he  deemed  competent  to 
the  service,  and  as  had  also  an  ambition  for  the 


Yankee  Ice-Fighting, 


221 


w 


e  people 
ites  were 
gland  to 
interest 
848  from 
I  for  one 

0  prompt 
^resident. 

1  kindred 
mterprise 
a   dreary 

h  a  tardi- 
Delay  in 
e,  so  that 
L  princely 
irt  of  the 
the  credit 
ic  search, 
is  vessels, 
e  Govern- 
hority   of 
fftcers  and 
npetent  to 
on  for  the 


perilous  undertaking.  The  vessels  received  the 
appropriate  names  of  "  Advance  "  and  "  Rescue." 
They  were  small  brigs,  both  together  rating  only 
two  hundred  and  thirty-five  tons.  Tiiey  were 
simply  lumbering  coasters  to  the  eye,  but,  judged 
by  their  adaptation  to  the  service  to  which  they 
had  been  a[)pointed,  brave  looking  crafts.  Their 
hulls  had  two  coverings,  each,  of  two  and  a  half 
inch  oak  plank ;  a  heavy  shield  of  strips  of  slieet- 
iron  extended  from  the  bows  along  the  sides. 
Their  decks  were  double,  and  made  water-tight. 
The  inside  was  ceiled  with  cork,  to  secure  greater 
warmth  and  dryness.  Their  wooden  frame-works 
were  made  doubly  strong.  The  rudders  could  be 
unshipped  and  taken  on  board  in  four  minute^". 
Neither  careful  planning,  skill,  nor  expenditure  of 
money  were  wanting  to  make  them  all  they  needed 
to  be. 

The  crews  were  man-of-war's  men,  of  various 
nationalities,  constitutions,  and  habits,  and  were 
not  especially  promising  in  their  make-up,  but 
proved  true  under  severe  tests — a  fact  creditable, 
we  should  think,  to  the  officers,  as  well  as  men. 
The  larger  vessel,  the  "  Advance,"  carried  thirteen 
seamen  and  four  officers  ;  the  "  Rescue  "  had  the 
same  number  of  officers,  and  twelve  seamen. 

The  expedition  was  commanded  by  Captain 
De  Haven,  in  the  "  Advance,"  under  wliom  was 
Lieutenant  Griffin,  in  the  "  Rescue."  Elisha  K. 
Kane,  M.D.,  who  rose  to  such  distinction  among 
arctic  navigators,  and  to  whose  ready  pen  we  are 
indebted    for   rich    stores   of  information    of  the 


\: 


I 

■I  \ 


m 


III 


if 


1 

i 


f 


i 


'  < 


\    * 


.'  * 

I       r     • 


I  ■  ' 


!      !• 


'    ' 


:i:  • 


!   I 


!  > 


j  ■' « 

.a       ii 

uU\ ' 

1 ' ' 

} 

1 1; 

:      ;  ^ 

1 

y. 

i      ';^ 

222 


Arctic  Heroes. 


northern   seas,  was  the   surgeon  of  the  flag-ship, 
"  Advance." 

After  all  that  was  done  to  make  the  outfit 
thorough,  the  comforts  and  aids  in  prosecuting 
the  search  on  the  part  of  the  American  vessels 
compared  poorly  with  those  of  the  steam-propeller 
squadron  wc  have  just  described.  The  cabins 
were  of  small  dimensions,  containing  just  four  not 
roomy  berths.  Jack's  cjuarters  were,  of  course, 
crowded.  The  smashing  of  floes  was  to  be  done 
by  the  brigs  themselves,  without  the  powerful  aid 
of  the  giant  steam-engine. 

The  squadron  started  on  its  errand  of  love  on 
the  2 2d  of  May,  1850.  The  witnessing  crowd 
waved  them  kind  adieus  from  the  wharves  and 
house-tops,  and  many  a  "  God  bless  you  !  "  was 
breathed  as  the  news  of  their  departure  was  read 
in  the  households  of  the  land,  while  many  hearts 
in  the  fatherland  were  thrilled  with  joy  at  their 
noble  purpose. 

We  shall  assume  a  cozy  place  in  the  cabin  of 
the  flag-ship,  where  we  hope  to  be  no  intruder, 
while  we  carefully  note  the  events  more  or  less 
peculiar  to  this  expedition. 

On  the  17th  of  June  the  night  left  us,  or  rather 
the  darkness,  for  our  sun,  having  retired  at  the 
unseasonable  hour  of  ten  P.M.,  rose  at  the  early 
hour  of  two  A.M.  We  learned  by  the  nerve-dis- 
turbing continuance  of  blazing  light  how  blessed 
is  darkness  to  the  heavy  eyelids. 

We  were,  in  a  few  more  days'  sail,  well  into  the 
region  of  icebergs  and  glaciers,  and  the  rugged, 


Yankee  Ice-FigJiting. 


223 


ice-bound  and  snow-clad  shore  of  Grf^enland  came 
into  view.  A  solitary  berg,  of  majestic  propor- 
tions, attracted  our  attention.  Behind  it  the  sun 
was  shining,  lighting  the  sea  with  a  crimson  hue. 
While  we  were  watching  the  berg  it  lost  its  balance, 
probably  by  the  shelving  off  of  some  projecting 
crag,  and  it  began  to  swing  back  and  forth,  rolling 
vast  waves  in  a  widening  circuit  over  the  sea. 
This  sudden  action  of  the  berg  startled  from  their 
resting-place  in  its  icy  crevices  myriads  of  birds, 
which  rose  in  a  dark,  circling  cloud  above  it.  The 
scene  was  novel  to  us  and  impressive. 

On  the  24th  of  June  our  sun,  having  descended 
to  the  verge  of  the  horizon,  started  again  on  its 
upward  course. 

We  were  soon  at  a  Danish  port  in  the  Bay  of 
Disco.  Here  we  learned  that  the  English  squad- 
ron, under  Commodore  Austin,  had  left  only  the 
day  before.  His  steamers,  the  "  Pioneer "  and 
"  Intrepid,"  would  keep  him,  we  thought,  in  ad- 
vance of  our  clumsy  sailing  vessels. 

While  we  waited  on  deck  for  our  boat  to  be 
manned  to  carry  us  ashore  we  observed  a  black 
object  in  the  water  coming  from  the  land  toward 
the  ship.  It  moved  rapidly  and  seemed  like  a 
Newfoundland  dog.  As  it  approached  we  could 
discern  a  black  projection  from  it  too  long  for  the 
neck  and  head  of  a  dog;  while  a  curious  flapping 
was  going  on,  first  on  this  side  and  then  on  that, 
as  it  sped  swiftly  along.  When  in  a  few  moments 
it  was  along  side,  we  obtained  our  first  clear  view 
of  a  Greenland  kayak.     It  was  canoe-shaped,  and 


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■1 

224 


Arctic  Heroes. 


over  its  frame  seal  skins  were  tightly  drawn.  It 
was  both  air  and  water  tight,  excepting  a  hole 
nearly  in  its  center,  just  large  enough  to  receive 
its  occupant.  It  was  eighteen  feet  long  and  twen- 
ty inches  wide,  running  off  to  a  sharp  point  at  both 
ends. 

The  Esquimo  sailor  was  nicely  adjusted  to  the 
hole  in  the  center.  His  undressed,  hooded,  seal- 
skin coat  was  drawn  closelv  over  a  rim  aroiind  the 
hole,  fitting  tightly,  and  completely  shutting  out 
the  water.  He  seized  in  the  middle  an  oar  bladed 
at  both  ends,  and,  dipping  it  on  either  side  rapidly 
and  with  wonderful  skill,  skimmed  over  the  water 
as  if  boat  and  man  were  parts  of  the  same  animal 
— a  thing  of  beauty,  grace,  and  vivacity.  As  we 
rowed  to  the  shore  a  fleet  of  these  kayaks  hung  in 
our  wake,  or  hovered  about  our  sides,  just  outside 
the  dip  of  our  oars,  like  hungry  sea-fowls  after  a 
morning  breakfast.  Our  first  impression  of  the 
people,  who  are  Esquimo  with  some  Danish  blood, 
was  one  of  disgust.  Oil  and  fat,  raw  hides  of  seals, 
scraps  of  fish  and  discarded  bones,  and  various 
kinds  of  garbage,  were  scattered  every-where  about 
the  huts.  Inside  they  were  still  more  filthy — men, 
women,  and  children,  old  people  and  the  invalids, 
were  crowded  into  the  smallest  possible  space. 
Their  summer  huts,  in  which  some  of  them  were 
now  living,  were  made  of  reindeer  skins.  Their 
winter  houses  were  half  under  ground.  We  saw 
in  one,  only  six  feet  by  eight,  a  father,  mother, 
four  children,  and  a  grandfather,  a  tea-kettle,  a 
rude  box,  two  rifles,  and  a  litter  of  puppies. 


I 


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a, 


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M 


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1  \inkce  Icv-FigJitiug. 


While  we  were  rowing  among  the  islands  of 
Disco  Bay  we  noticed  the  remarkable  transparency 
of  the  water.  This  has  often  been  noticed  by 
voyagers  to  the  Polar  Seas  as  characteristic  of 
them.  We  could  see  every  feature  of  the  bottom 
at  a  depth  of  sixty  feet.  A  luxuriant  growth  of 
deep  green  plants,  and  long,  tangled  grasses,  waved 
as  gracefully  as  if  they  were  the  objects  of  constant 
observation  by  admiring  men. 

We  obtained  at  (lodhavn,  on  Disco  Island,  our 
outfit  of  fur  clothes.  The  most  important  arti- 
cles were  a  close-fitting  jacket,  called  a  "jumper," 
with  a  hood  like  that  worn  by  our  ladies  on  a 
water-proof,  and  water-tight  seal-skin  boots. 

We  were  soon  under  all  sail  crowding  our  way 
toward  the  f/or/A  loatcr — the  iceless  sea  beyond 
Melville  Bay.  Vessels  sometimes  cross  from  the 
Greenland  to  the  west  side  of  Baffin  Bay,  farther 
south,  and  occasionally  they  see  an  opening 
through  the  middle  waters,  but  generally  it  is 
the  quickest  and  safest  route  to  keep  on  the  east 
side  until  reaching  the  northern  opening.  On  the 
first  of  July  we  began  our  conflict  with  field-ice — 
broken  fragments  of  great  extent. 

July  2  we  were  sailing  in  water  free  from  the 
drifting  cakes  of  ice,  but  the  huge,  cold,  dignified, 
but  at  times  sparkling  icebergs  were  about  us. 
We  observed  one,  a  monster  ice  mountain,  whose 
top  and  sides  were  varied  in  form,  including  hill 
and  dale.  It  was  at  least  two  hundred  feet  high. 
On  this  a  company  of  us  landed.  The  scenery  to 
which  we  were  treated  from  one  of  its  hill-tops 


:  IS': 


i»  "\ 


..M 


lii 


M  d 


228 


Arctic  Heroes. 


V-U 


'tit 


II  i 

■  1. 


In 


was  beautiful.  Below,  the  water  was  surging  into 
the  caves  and  grottoes  at  its  base,  sending  up  a 
murmuring  sound  of  plaintive  music;  above  us 
were  wild,  projecting  crags  on  which  the  sea- 
birds  screamed  their  harsh  but  joyous  notes  of 
freedom. 

A\'e  Avere  treated,  by  that  curious  operator  in 
arctic  views,  refraction,  to  a  fine  panorama  as  we 
were,  on  the  nth  of  July,  slowly  moving  over  an 
almost  quiet  sea.  A  st'^ip  of  horizon,  resembling 
an  extended  plain — a  true  watery  horizon — first 
appeared.  Then  above  it  was  a  horizon  of  re- 
fraction, with  an  aerial  ocean  margin,  lined  with 
structures  ever  varying  in  form.  Great  needles, 
obelisks  of  pure  whiteness,  cities  in  majestic  pro- 
portions, but  instantly  passing  into  the  chaotic 
forms  of  the  wildest  ruins,  and  buildings  of  archi- 
tectural grandeur,  whose  outlines  we  had  just 
begun  to  xan,  when  the  whole  vanished.  The 
excited  imagination  of  :he  inebriate  could  not 
create  a  more  fantastic  scene.  Suddenly,  as  by  a 
flash,  they  re-appeared,  to  dance,  dazzle,  and  amaze 
for  a  moment,  and  then  to  vanish  as  swiftly. 

If  the  creations  of  refraction  are  the  baseless 
fabrics  of  a  vision,  navigation  in  this  ice-bound 
sea  with  our  sturdy  little  vessels  is  a  real  thing. 
Let  us  try  to  show  our  readers  how  7ae  did  it. 

We  are  now  in  a  little  space  of  clear  water. 
Look  beyond  .his  over  the  bows  of  our  vessel. 
It  is  onf^  extended  and  almost  boundless  plain  of 
solid  ice.  A  little  distance  to  the  left  is  a  huge 
iceberg  rising  above   the  icy  plain  like  some  hill 


>    I 


ng  into 
ig  up  a 
)ove  us 
he  sea- 
Dtes    of 

•ator  in 
I  as  we 
over  an 
ambling 
n — first 
of  re- 
ed with 
leedles, 
tic  pro- 
chaotic 
f  archi- 
ad  just 
I.  The 
lid  not 
as  by  a 
i  amaze 

baseless 
sbound 
1  thing, 
it, 

water. 

vessel. 

)lain  of 

a  huge 

n)e  hill 


Yankee  Ice-Fighting. 


229 


from  the  level  land  of  the  shore.  You  see  that 
narrow  oi)ening  in  this  field  of  ice,  commencing 
just  on  our  left.  Its  irregular  course  may  remind 
you  of  the  wandering  streams  through  the  mead- 
ows at  home,  as  it  follcvs  for  awhile  the  base  of 
the  berg,  and  then  is  lost  to  the  sight  in  its  ser- 
pentine windings.  This  is  kno\vn  among  arctic 
navigators  as  a  "lead."  We  propose  to  break 
away  from  the  icy  prison  in  which  we  have  been 
h-^ld  for  some  time  by  navigating  that  "  lead  "  by 
what  is  called  "conning."  The  sails  are  put  in 
trim  and  the  brig's  head  is  directed  co  the  open 
gap.  Men  are  stationed  at  the  ropes  which  con- 
trol the  sails.  Silence  for  a  moment  prevails  as 
Ave  wail  for  the  concussion.  The  commander 
thunders  his  orders  to  the  man  at  the  helm,  the 
sails,  by  a  steady  haul  on  the  ropes,  aid  the  vessel 
in  the  course  the  helm  has  given  her,  and  she 
thrusts  her  nose  into  the  gap.  Away  she  goes 
banging  her  sides  against  the  ice,  crushing  it  with 
her  bows,  and  making,  it  may  be,  a  headway 
equal  to  a  few  times  her  length.  Somebody  in 
the  rigging  who  is  watching  the  "  lead  "  exclaims 
"  pshaw  !  "  as  we  bring  up,  all-stan  ling,  in  a  short 
turn  of  the  "  lead."  P'or  a  time  we  scrape,  scratch, 
and  thump  our  way,  until  two  great,  solid  ice- 
fields shut  us  in,  and  forbid  our  moving  another 
foot  until  their  sovereign  pleasure  is  further  com- 
municated. Some  one  exclaims,  "  eugh  !  "  and 
we  all  go  quietly  to  supper. 

When  we  come   on  deck   again   we  have  been 
refreched  by  food  and  rest.     We  all  have  a  mind 


*   ,-3 

t    '  r 
.  t  ■ 


'Ill 


'I' vat 


n 

i 

ii 

'   1 

'!■.?,  5 

■  1 

^.r 

■  1 : 

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^f 


fri^ 


jri 


230 


Arctic  Heroes. 


to  work  and  are  ready  for  the  word  of  command. 
Our  caj)tain  now  changes  the  mode  of  attack  on 
the  enemy.  The  wind  is  light  and  dead  ahead, 
and  there  is  not  enough  sea-room  to  get  headway 
on  the  ship  if  it  were  not,  so  smashing  the  ice  by 
sailing  into  it  is  for  the  present  "  played  out.* 
The  ice-anchors  are  ordered  out.  These  are 
strong  iron  hooks,  of  which  we  have  two  sizes, 
one  weighing  forty  and  the  other  a  hundred  pounds. 
Two  men  jump  from  the  ship  with  one  of  the 
largest  and  settle  it  into  the  ice  ahead  near  the 
edge  of  the  crack  through  which  ^^  e  wish  to  force 
our  way.  The  large  hooked  end  of  the  anchor 
being  sunk  firmly,  to  the  smaller  hook  of  its  other 
end  a  new,  strong,  large  rope — "  a  hawser  " — is  ad- 
justed. The  other  end  of  the  hawser  is  wound 
around  "the  windlass"  with  cogs  and  levers  at- 
tached. All  hands  in  turn  man  the  levers,  bring- 
ing a  strain  on  the  hawser  which  draws  with  im- 
mense power  on  the  ice-anchor.  Captain,  cook, 
steward,  doctor,  and  seamen  sweat  away  at  the 
levers,  dignity  stepping  aside  to  let  muscles  have 
control.  The  crack  gradually  opens,  the  ship 
crowds  herself  in,  until  the  hawser's  length  is 
drawn  up  to  the  anchor,  which  is  then  carried 
ahead  and  ihe  operation  repeated.  This  we  call 
hea-.  ..ig. 

May  be  the  ice  refuses  to  be  thus  crowded 
aside;  we  toil  and  strain  away  with  the  powerful 
machinery  which  draws  upon  the  ten-inch  hav,  s- 
er ;  it  smokes  with  the  tension,  snaps  with  a  loud 
report,  and  we  give  it  up  and  go  below.     We  have 


Yankee'  Ice-Fighting. 


231 


' 


had  nothing  to  pay    for  our   hard   work    but  the 
satisfaction  of  those  who  try. 

We  wait,  rest,  recover  our  strength  end  energy, 
and  try  again.     Now  perhaps  the  Ice  King  is  in 
better  temper   toward   us.     He   relaxes   his   grip, 
we  heave   along  until   our  way  becomes   so   easy 
that  the  hundred  pound  ice-hook  is  taken  aboard. 
A  man  now  jumps  out  with   the  forty  pound  hook 
on  his  shoulder.     The  ice  has  changed  its  mode 
of  attack  ;   it  has  become    treacherous,   and  gives 
V  vv'  as  he  leaps  over  the  cracks,  and  from  one  icy 
;•■  ;■    lo  another.     Occasionally  he  gets  a  ducking. 
Attached  to  the  anchor  he  carnes  is  a  light,  thin, 
strong  cordage,   called  a  whale-line,  made   of  the 
best   material.     He  plants  his  anchor  firmly  in  a 
distant  ice-cape  lying  in  the  direction  of  our  de- 
sired course.     The  shij)  end  of  the   line   is  passed 
round  "  the  capstan."     The  drawing  in  of  this  line 
is  light  work  compared  to  the  "heaving;  "  strong 
bars  are  put  in  the  sockets  made  for  them  in  the 
machine  we  call  "a  capstan,"  by  which  it  is  made 
to  turn  'vi.r.  thus  wind  round  it  and  draw  in  the 
cord.       V:i   hands    grasp  these    capstan-bars   and 
walk  ruua*;;  ..f  the  sailors  are  fresh  and  in  good 
humor,    we    :.-.rch    to   the    jolly   chorus    of   tlvjir 
JO"         The  ship  "  walks  "  through   the  broken  ice 
until   all   the   cor^l    is   drawn    in   and  she    reaches 
the   anchor.     The   merry  work  is  then    repeated, 
and    we    make    a    little    jjrogress.     This    we    call 
wa?-p-f!g. 

S-  .  u  jur  fickle  Ice  King  gives  us  an  opportunity 
for  air',.-.,  „  J  J.   style  of  progress.     As  the  floes  are 


■.•^H 


A 


v^ 


mm 


': 

'■■|  .. 

■ 

'    ! 

i 

t , 

■ 

!    : 

, 

I 

M 

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t 


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1' 


!i 


1   i 


232 


Arctic  Heroes. 


ever  changing,  so  we  change  our  expedients.  A 
canal  of  clear  water  is  allowed  us.  Both  heaving 
and  warping  are  abandoned  as  too  hard  or  slow 
work.  The  line  is  run  out,  and  the  men  harness 
themselves  to  it.  This  is  done  by  putting  a  strap 
over  their  shoulders  and  then  fastening  it  to  the 
line.  Thus  "  accoutered,"  the  men-horses  tug 
away,  or  start  off,  if  there  is  clear  sailing  and  good 
footing,  at  "  a  dog  trot,"  drawing  the  vessel  after 
them.     This  we  call  ^.  i         ^. 

When  we  could  neithi  "heave,"  nor  "warp," 
nor  "track,"  we  wasted  our  strength  on  "sawing," 
"cutting,"  "prying,"  and  other  expedients,  im- 
pelled by  our  want  of  experience  and  our  ardent 
temperaments.  We  spent  twenty-one  days  in  this 
kind  of  toil,  in  a  circle  not  more  than  twelve 
miles  in  diameter.  W^e  measured  progress  from 
day  to  day  by  yards  and  feet,  not  by  miles.  This 
will  do  to  illustrate  our  way  of  getting  out  of  ^ig/it 
places. 

On  the  eleventh  of  July  the  "Devil's  Thumb," 
a  so-called  landmark  of  the  nearest  shore,  was 
plainly  visible  in  the  clear  atmosphere,  though 
fifty  miles  off.     We  were  still  in  the  "pack." 

"  What  do  you  make  of  that  ?  "  said  the  com- 
mander, addressing  Dr.  Kane,  and  directing  his 
attention  to  an  object  between  us  and  the  shore. 
Dr.  Kane  took  the  glass  De  Haven  had  been 
using,  and  looked.  "  A  mnst,  with  gaff  and  main- 
sail partially  clewed  up,"  answered  Dr.  Kane 
decidedly.  Both  thought  that  one  of  the  Dan- 
ish schooners  had  anchored  at  the  edge  of  the 


Yankee  Ice-FiHitiuer. 


233 


):  I 


com- 
ng  his 
shore, 
been 
main- 
Ivane 
>  Dan- 
of  the 


pack.  A  more  powerful  telescope  was  brought 
up  from  below  and  directed  toward  ihe  schoon- 
er, but  it  was  not  there!  It  was  a  trick  of  re- 
fraction ! 

The  next  day  we  sighted  a  ])olar  bear,  the  first 
which  had  crossed  our  track.  He  was  less  than  a 
half  mile  off,  trotting  leisurely,  not  deigning  to 
notice  us.  Probably  he  held  in  low  esteem  all 
ships  and  the  savage  intruders  upon  bear  territory 
which  they  contained.  We  proved  that  his  'ength 
was  nine  feet  by  measuring  his  tracks.  His  color, 
as  compared  with  the  white  snow,  seemed  a  deli- 
cate yellow  ;  his  nose  blue-black  ;  his  broad,  regu- 
larly arching  haunches,  resting  upon  ponderous 
legs,  gave  hinn  the  look  of  an  elephant. 

Of  course  we  gave  chase  to  the  bear,  with  guns 
in  hand  and  murderous  intent.  The  ice  being 
weak  in  places,  our  zeal  was  far  greater  than  our 
discretion.  ^Ve  did  not  get  a  shot  at  him  in  all 
the  chase  of  three  hours.  Though  we  did  not 
return  with  the  })olar,  we  did  return  wetter  if  not 
wiser  men,  for  several  of  us  got  repeated  duck- 
ings. As  to  his  polar  majesty,  he  never  once 
varied  from  his  dignified,  unconcerned  walk. 
When  we  last  saw  him  he  was  in  the  dim  distance 
among  hummocks  of  ice. 

A  few  days  after  this  incident,  as  we  were  ^vaii^ 
i>p^,  our  men  organized  foot-races  with  the  crew 
of  the  "  Rescue."  \\'e  had  fancy  matches  against 
time.  Our  best  runner  made  his  mile  in  seven 
minutes  and  eleven  seconds. 

While  our  commander  was  punching  the  ice,  as 


r^is 


■"  n 


mv' 


m 


t  i 


_, -Mi-iXmBBBK 


mm 


BH 


/     I 


234 


Arctic  Heroes. 


'ill 


*  t  < 

"3 


'■■     I 


f    ; 


»       ■ 


.  r 


;  I 


he  stood  upon  a  projecting  point  of  the  floe,  it 
gave  way  and  soused  him  in.  He  had  some  diffi- 
culty in  getting  out.  I'he  incident  was  serious  in 
its  liabilities,  but  as  "all  is  well  which  ends  well," 
especially  with  men  in  our  line  of  business,  we 
laughed  at  it  when  safe  in  the  cabin. 


Freaks  of  At  mo  sp  I i  eric  Rcfnxction. 


235 


f\ 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

FREAKS    OF    ATMOSPHERIC    REFRACTIOX. 

OOON  nftcr  our  first  experience  in  bear-hunt- 
»-J     mg,  a  shout  came  down  the  cabin  where  we 
were  sitting,  "A  bear  alongside!"     It  proved  to 
be  a  young  bear,  not  more  than  two-thirds  grown. 
He  came  quite  near,  and  leisurely  surveyed    the 
bng  as  he  raised  himself  upon  his  haunches  and 
snuffed   the   air,   as  if  (pierying   what   manner  of 
animals  we  might  be.     We   kept  below  the   bul- 
warks watching  his  innocent  gambols,  and,  we  are 
almost  ashamed  to  say,  .seeking  to  reward  his  con- 
fidence with  a  bullet,     He  rubbed  his  nose  against 
a  hummock,  snapped  at  the  icicles,  and  rolled^  over 
and  over.    He  Avas  well  within  the  range  of  our  guns 
at  one  time,  but  just  as  we  were  about  to  fire  he 
gamboled  away,  full  of  the  enjoyment  of  life.     We 
felt    glad   we    had    not    fired,   but,   of  course,   we 
chased  him,  bent  on  taking  his  skin,  not  doubtin- 
our  right  to  it-if  we  could  get  it.     But  the  little 
rascal  seemed  to  think  that  it  belonged  to  himself, 
and  he  kept  it  uninjured. 

On  the  28th  of  July  we  were  in  that  famous 
water,  Melville  Bay,  in  which  the  whalers  as  well 
as  explorers  have  always  had  a  dreary  voyaging. 
A  thrilling  incident  gave  us  an  emphatic  ""hint 
oi  what  we  might  expect.     We  were  among  the 


-K 


ff^^lp 


1^- 

ii 

h 

,  1 

,1 
1 

1 

a 


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i 

,i   - 

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i 

f 

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i      I 


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Arctic  IIi:koi:s. 


floes,  but  hnd  entered  a  narrow  channel  of  clear 
^vnter,  which  nj^peared  to  be  a  mile  lon<,r.  The 
^vind  was  ahead,  and  we  were  engaged  in  our  now 
well-tried  ])usiness  of  warping;  Init  huge  bergs, 
driven  ])y  the  strong  northern  deep-sea  current, 
were  sailing  i.n  the  very  teeth  of  the  breeze.  One 
of  them  ke])t  us  company  for  some  time,  and, 
while  we  were  enjoying  the  clear  water  of  "  the 
lead,"  puslied  forward  to  get  ahead  of  us,  and  thus 
shut  us  out  of  any  further  advantage  of  it.  This 
exciting  race  was  going  on,  we  having  the  "  Rescue  " 
in  tow,  when  we  reached  a  point  where,  by  warping 
round  our  opponent,  we  might  be  able  to  make  sail 
and  get  rid  of  him.  Three  men  were  sent  to  plant 
the  ice-anchor  in  liis  side  to  hold  the  warp.  The 
hole  for  it  had  been  <ut  by  the  iron  crow;  a 
brawny  seaman  by  the  name  of  Costa  was  in  the  act 
of  lifting  the  anchor,  to  settle  it  into  the  solid  ice, 
when,  with  a  thundering  noise,  a  crack  ran  along 
the  berg.  Instantly  a  mass  twice  the  size  of  our 
ship  separated  from  it.  One  man  remained  on  the 
rolling  berg,  another  jumped  into  the  ropes  of  our 
bowsprit  and  escaped ;  but  ])oor  Costa,  anchor 
and  all,  disappeared  in  the  chasm  with  the  separated 
mass.  But  the  broken  fragment  had  made  a  per- 
pendicular descent  into  the  sea,  and  when  it  rose 
it  brought  Costa  up  with  it !  He  was  seized  by  the 
captain  as  he  was  passing  the  jib-boom  and  taken 
safely  on  board.  God's  hand  was  apparent  in  his 
rescue.  Costa  was  terribly  scared,  and  we  were  most 
emphatically  warned  to  beware  how  we  attempted 
to  put  our  iron  into  the  heart  of  an  iceberg. 


Freaks  of  AtmospJicric  Refraction.       237 


>> 


Five  days  after  tliis  incident  we  recognized  one 
of  these  bergs  which  were  now  racing  witii  us,  a 
hundred  miles  on  its  northern  voyage,  still  sailing 
against  wind  and  surface  ice. 

On  the  morning  of  the  first  of  August  our  friends 
had  a  successful  encounter  with  a  bear.  He  was 
walking  toward  the  brig,  cautiously  treading  over 
weak  ice.  Having  probably  found  it  too  rotten  to 
"bear  his  heavy  feet,  he  made  a  succession  of 
plunges,  coming  each  time  nearer  the  vessel,  break- 
ing the  ice  as  he  rose.  He  stared  about  as  his 
head  came  through  the  ice,  as  if  amazed,  and  he 
panted  and  shook  the  water  from  his  shaggy  coat 
like  a  Newfoundland  dog.  He  seemed  to  have  an 
intense  curiosity,  and  his  attempt  to  gratify  it  in 
comini.:  near  the  strangers  cost  him  his  life.  Several 
well-directed  bullets  struck  him  and  he  turned 
away,  weak  and  bleeding.  A\'ith  much  difficulty 
he  regained  the  floe,  but  it  was  only  to  meet  a 
bayonet  thrust  which  killed  him. 

Three  days  later  three  bears  were  seen  on  the 
ice  which  lav  between  us  and  the  land.  AVe  were 
in  a  lead  about  three  hundred  yr.rds  wide,  and 
while  we  were  getting  ready  the  boats  to  give  them 
chase,  'hey  plunged  into  the  water  and  came 
directly  toward  us.  In  two  or  three  minutes  they 
were  within  shot  of  the  boat,  coming  on  with  their 
mouths  open  and  showing  their  teeth,  panting  us 
if  eager  for  the  fight.  The  captain  was  the  first  to 
try  his  skill  as  a  marksman,  but  his  gun  missed 
fire.  The  second  officer.  Midshipman  Lovell, 
brought  his  gun  up,  lodged  a  ball   in  the  base  of 


'■i 


ft. 


r'SW 


('",' 


I  ..■■Vif 


1^1 


238 


Arctic  Heroes. 


V  i 


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the  brain  of  one  of  the  animals,  and  killed  him 
instantly.  Dr.  Kane  reserved  his  fire  for  a  better 
chance,  which  did  not  come.  While  we  were  secur- 
ing the  dead  bear  the  rest  turned  back,  scrambled 
up  the  floe,  and  ran  away. 

Just  as  we  reached  the  deck  of  the  "Advance  " 
with  our  prize,  the  heavy  floe  upon  the  seaward 
side  of  us  began  to  move  in  toward  the  shore  ice. 
The  two  vessels  were  in  the  clear  water  between 
them.  The  projecting  edge  of  the  outside  floe 
came  in  contact  with  the  inward  or  shore  ice,  about 
midway  l)etvveen  the  "Advance"  and  "Rescue." 
The  assailing  floe  was  nearly  four  feet  thick  and  a 
mile  in  diameter.  On  the  enormous  mass  cam  j, 
with  its  millions  of  tons  weight,  striking  the  solio. 
margin  of  the  land  ice  with  a  force  which  seemed 
sufikicnt  to  grind  both  to  powder.  But  the  land  ice 
endured  the  concussion  without  flinching,  while  its 
assailant  was  first  pressed  together,  then  crowded 
up  in  great  inclined  planes,  which  rose  until  broken 
and  toppled  over  in  long  lines  of  fragments.  The 
immense  cakes  of  ice,  as  they  rose,  seemed  thrust 
into  the  air  by  an  almost  silent,  mighty,  and  in- 
visible machinery. 

There  was  a  terrific  sublimity  in  all  this  w^hen 
seen  at  a  safe  distance.  But  when  the  attacking 
line  neared  our  brig,  bringing  us  between  it  and 
the  unyielding  land  ice,  the  sublime  was  lost  in  the 
appalling.  We  expected  her  sides  to  be  ripped, 
and,  perhaps,  crushed  in,  or  the  whole  craft  to  be 
borne  down  by  the  pressure.  After  a  moment's 
painful  suspense  the  crisis  came.     The  floes  came 


,  i 


hu\r\ 


Freaks  of  Atmospheric  Refmetio?t.       239 


together,  not  in  a  straight  line  along  the  whole 
length  of  our  vessel  at  once,  but  made  an  acute 
angle  at  her  bows,  out  of  which  she  sli|)ped  like  a 
squeezed  watermelon  seed  shot  from  your  thumb 
and  finger.  Her  hawser  snapped  like  pack-thread, 
and  away  she  shot  backward  into  more  sea  room. 

The  "  Rescue  "  was  tipped  over  so  as  almost  to 
lay  her  masts  on  a  line  with  the  floe,  and  then 
placed  on  her  keel  again  and  lifted  upon  the  ice. 
The  rudders  of  both  vessels  were  lifted  from  their 
places. 

The  second  day  after  this  encounter  with  the 
"  nip  "  the  wind  changed,  the  surface-current  started 
the  seaward  ice  off,  the  lead  opened,  nnd  we  sought 
a  safer  berth. 

A  few  days  after  the  floes  had  entertained  us 
by  "  nipping,"  refraction,  our  ever-welcome  friend 
stepped  forward  with  his  entertainment.  He  was 
never  more  himself  nor  in  a  better  condition  to 
show  his  wonderful  dramatic  poAver,  See  there, 
just  north  of  the  sun  ;  a  black  ball  floating  in  the 
air  !  it  is  launched  from  his  hand.  What  can  it  be  } 
Perhaps  a  bird  or  a  balloon.  There  !  its  circumfer- 
ence shines,  glistens,  and  changes  its  shape  !  Now 
we  know  just  what  it  is  ;  plainly  it  is  a  grand  piano  ! 
No,  not  quite  so  fast  with  your  opinion  ;  it  is  an 
anvil !  Right  this  time  !  It  is  an  anvil  big  enough 
for  the  giants  of  the  north,  if  there  be  any,  to 
hammer  out  upon  it  the  North  Pole,  or  any  other 
poles  they  may  fancy.  Poh  !  it  is  no  longer  an 
anvil.  It  is  narrowing  in  the  center,  and  rounding 
off  at  the  ends.     It  is  a  pair  of  huge  dumb-bells. 


1 

i 


s% 


ti4 


/- 


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240 


Arctic  Heroes, 


■  i 


I 


'<        'K.  I 


'I         ' 

Hi  i 


:  I 


ll'l-l 


'lil>r 


V  ■"■ 


with   which   the   pliant   gymnasts   strengthen   their- 
brawny  arms  for  a  turn  at  boxing  I     'I'here,  it  has 
cliangcd  again  !      It  is  nothing  but  tlie  bhick  ball 
now. 

Our  performer  now  becomes  more  sober,  but 
not  less  skillful.  He  operates  on  a  magnificent 
scale  ;  he  has  taken  tlic  wliole  horizon.  He  blends 
the  pearly  sky  and  pearly  water  so  that  you  cannot 
discern  the  line  of  separation  I  Our  ship  is  in  tlie 
hollow  of  a  great  s[)here-  Icy  shai>es  of  wonderful 
beauty  and  variety  are  floating  all  about  us.  Jiirds 
are  seen  flying  both  above  and  below.  Our  con- 
sort, the  "Rescue,"  rests,  in  du[)licate,  serenely  in 
the  sky  ! 

On  the  next  night,  at  ten  o'clock,  our  performer 
again  exhibited.  The  sun  was  nearly  at  its  lower 
curve.  Suddenly  there  are  signs  of  combustion 
flar'ng  all  around  him.  Oreat  volumes  of  b'ack 
smr  '  arise,  contracting  and  expanding  in  its  up- 
ward .:ourse,  and  as  it  rolls  off  into  si)acc  black 
specks  rise  with  it,  expand,  fall,  and  disappear! 
The  rarified  air  above  the  whole  waves  and  quivers 
with  the  heat.  It  is  some  mighty  city  in  conflagra- 
tion ;  some  burning  Chicago  or  Boston!  No;  it 
is  only  the  jugglery  of  refraction  ! 

We  were  now,  August  15,  near  Cape  York,  the 
northern  boundary  of  Melville  Bay.  The  "  Rescue." 
had  lagged  astern,  though  we  were  in  clear  water. 
^Vhile  we  were  leisurely  looking  around  from  our 
deck  she  gave  us  the  signal  of  "men  in  sight."  A 
boat  was  immediately  laden  with  provisions  and 
sent  to  the  shore,  for,  as  we  were  so  far  north,  the 


Freaks  of  Atmospheric  Refraction.       24 1 


livers 


idea  of  human  licings  involunfaiily  ((juncctccl  itself 
with  disaster.  Hut  two  nieii  were  soon  seen  on  the 
shore  ice,  gesticuhuing  in  the  most  ludicrous  and 
violent  manner,  ihey  were  genuine  specimens  of 
the  Esc^uimo.  'I'hougii  living  in  this  icy,  bitter 
cold,  and  desolate  region,  they  were  as  fat  as  the 
bears  we  had  lately  killed.  They  were  jolly,  laugh- 
ing fellows,  full  of  sociability.  'I'hey  were  armed 
with  a  hari)Oon,  lance,  and  air-bladder,  and  had 
been  hunting  seals.  They  had  no  kayak,  and 
seemed  unaccjuainted  with  that  convenient  article 
of  their  more  southern  relatives.  They  intimated 
that  there  were  more  of  their  i)e()|)le  in  a  valley 
toward  which  they  pointed.  They  had  evidently 
seen  ships  before,  and  invited  themselves  aboard ; 
but  the  officer  of  the  boat  declined  the  invitation. 
They  belonged,  we  concluded,  to  the  wandering 
fishing  and  seal-catching  Esquimo  of  this  region 
whom  John  Ross,  and,  after  him,  the  l''.nglish  navi- 
gators term  "Arctic  Highlanders." 

A  touching  incident  occurred  near  this  place  in 
1830.  The  seamen  of  a  whaler  landed  from  their 
boat  and  walked  to  a  group  of  huts.  They  ob- 
served as  they  approached  the  death-like  stillness 
which  pervaded  the  vicinity  and  the  absence  of 
recent  tracks  in  the  snow.  They  lifted  the  skin 
of  the  door-way  and  entered.  There,  around 
an  oilless  lamp,  were  the  corpses  of  five  human 
beings.  The  frosty  finger  of  death  had  left  them, 
save  the  sunken  eyes  and  darkened  lips,  in  the 
attitude  and  with  the  expression  of  life.  The 
babe  was  frozen  in  the  hood  of  the  reindeer  coat 


'I 


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tr.'i. 


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i    ", 


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i    :m'-,  t  '! 


in: 


■'!{l' 


'> 


242 


Arctic  Heroes. 


which  enveloped  its  mother,  snd  the  dog  was  stark 
and  stiff  at  tlie  feet  of  its  master. 

Several  other  huts  exhibited  the  same  melan- 
choly sights.  As  the  implements  for  seal  catch- 
ing lay  in  the  tents,  and  Ps  that  animal  abounds  in 
the  bays,  and  affords  both  food  and  fuel  for  these 
people,  they  must  have  been  Si.  itten  by  a  preva- 
lent disease,  or  their  supplies  shut  off  by  some  ex- 
traordinary occurrence. 

A  company  from  the  "  Advance  "  landed  in  a 
little  cove  near  Cape  York.  Here  we  had  an  op- 
portunity of  examining  the  "red  snow  "  which  we 
had  seen  on  the  cliffs  during;  our  last  ten  miles' 
sail.  Its  color  was  a  deep  but  not  bright  red.  A 
kind  of  brick-dust  lay  upon  its  surface,  and  other 
portions  of  its  coloring  matter  was  evidently  of  a 
vegetable  origin.  It  imparted  to  paper  when 
drawn  over  it  a  cherry-red  which  faded  into  a 
brr  wn.  The  snow  resembled,  with  the  impurities 
it  contained,  crushed  preserved  cranberries,  and  a 
handful  thawed  in  a  glass  tumbler  looked  like 
muddy  claret  wine. 

There  was  near  a  beautiful  little  cove.  On  one 
side  of  it  was  a  glacier  which  came  down  from  its 
valhy  birthplace  above.  One  side  of  the  glacier 
clung  to  the  cliff,  the  other  side  which  it  presented 
to  us  was  a  solid,  almost  perpendicular,  crystal 
wall ;  its  end  descended  into  the  sea.  A  .stream 
from  the  vaHey,  which  had  worn  a  channel  in  the 
glacier,  leaped,  when  it  reached  the  edge  of  the 
glacier  wall,  infro  tne  sea  below  in  a  cascade  of 
foam-?parkling  water. 


!/.! 


Freaks  of  Atmospheric  Refraction.       243 


The  side  of  the  cove  opposite  to  the  glacier  was 
watered  by  misty  spray  from  the  cascade,  and 
was  green  with  beautiful  arctic  mosses.  It  seemed 
a  fairy  spot  in  comparison  to  the  barren  sight  of 
weeks  past,  aad  was  indeed  a  charming  spot  which 
we  could  not  forget.  Dr.  Kane  named  it  "Bessie's 
.ovc. 

The  next  day,  while  sailing  leisurely  along,  we 
saw  an  indentation  in  the  high,  precipitous,  rocky 
shore.  Into  tins  we  warped  our  vessel,  so  near 
that  we  stepi)ed  out  on  the  rocks  as  upon  a  wharf 
The  sun  was  at  il*?  lowest  curve,  for  it  was  the  mid- 
night hour  of  four  P.M.  The  cove  at  the  base  of 
its  walls  was  in  black  shadows,  but  far  above  it 
was  bathed  in  a  sparkling  sunlight.  A  torrent  of 
water  rushed  down  the  sides,  with  which  we  filled 
our  tanks  fo;  the  trip  across  the  North  Water  into 
which  wc  had  now  come. 

The  slope  into  the  cove  at  one  place  was  cov- 
ered with  terraces  of  rocky  and  icy  fragments. 
Birds  in  myriads  hovered  about  it,  or  settled  down 
into  its  crevices.  A  party  of  our  men  were  blazing 
away  at  them  and  bagging  hundreds.  Their  nests 
were  not  all  forsaken  of  their  young,  and  fledglings 
were  peering  down  upon  us  by  thousands  and 
opening  their  mouths  for  the  food  their  moth  •'■s 
were  bringing  them  from  the  sea. 

Drawn  by  a  wish  to  study  the  domestic  habits 
of  these  arctic  birds,  Dr.  Kane  clambered  ujj  to 
one  of  their  most  populous  colonies, -without  duly 
considering  how  he  might  get  down.  As  he  as- 
cended the  sharply  inclined  plane,  with  a  walking 


T 


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f 


m 

1   '    ■ 

■■^;— ppwj—^ii^piwi 


wpHfW 


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H'  ^ 


i 


244 


Arctic  Heroes. 


pole  substituted  tor  his  gun,  the  fragments  re- 
ceded from  under  his  feet,  and  rushed  down  with  a 
thundering  noise  to  the  plain  below.  He  stopped 
to  take  breath,  and  was  startled  to  see  every  th'ng 
about  him  in  motion.  The  entire  surface  seemed 
to  be  sliding  down.  The  position  was  one  of  real 
danger.  The  masses,  gathering  swiftness  as  they 
descended,  leaped  over  the  terraces,  and  filled  the 
air  with  fearful  missiles.  Some  whizzed  by  his  face, 
and  others  sliot  Tver  his  head,  and  his  walking- 
pole  was  jerked  from  his  hand  and  buried  in  tlie 
rubbish.  He  commenced  returning,  fearing  that 
the  downward  trip  might  be  swifter  than  w  is 
pleasant  or  safe.  Seeing  a  ])rojecting  rock  not 
far  from  him,  against  which  the  sliding  rubbish 
divided  into  two  streams,  he  made  a  desperate 
jump  and  landed  upon  it.  He  here  waited  for 
the  troubled  fragments  to  adjust  themselves.  The 
scene  around  him  was  wonderfully  original  and 
arctic.  The  sun  was  "  setting  into  sunrise  "  near 
the  horizon,  and  the  wiiolc'  atmosphere  "was  pink 
with  light."  Auks  and  ivory  gulls  screeched  with 
deafening  clamor  around  him,  sometimes  flapping 
their  wings  almost  in  his  face;  dignified  "burgo- 
masters "  sat  unmoved  on  the  crags  above,  seem- 
ing '.o  enjoy  the  embarrassment  of  the  obtrusive 
stranger;  while  far  below,  their  black  forms  con- 
trasting with  tlie  white  snow,  two  ravens  contended 
for  a  choice  bit  of  garbage. 

Quiet  being  restored,  the  doctor  descended 
safely,  wiser  concerning  arctic  hill-sides  if  not  in 
the  habits  of  arctic  birds. 


Freaks  .f  Atmospheric  Refraction.       24$ 


Its  re- 
with  a 
tof)ped 
f  thing 
jcemed 
of  real 
as  they 
led  the 
lis  face, 
alking- 
i  in  the 
ng  that 
an    w  iS 
Dck  not 
rubbish 
asperate 
ited   for 
s.    The 
nal   and 
e  "  near 
/as  pink 
led  with 
flapping 
"  burgo- 
e,  seem- 
btrusive 
ms  con- 
ntended 

ascended 
if  not  in 


On  the  iStli  of  August  we  turned  tlic  [iows  of 
our  shii)s  west,  with  the  waves  dancing  past  us 
and  the  l)rec/e  in  our  sails.  W'u  had  accom- 
plished the  western  passage,  and  were  spanking 
along  toward  Lancaster  Sound.  The  next  morn- 
ing about  eight  o'clock  the  i)leasant  news  was 
brought  to  tlie  ca])in  from  the  deck  that  two  ves- 
sels were  following  in  our  wake.  We  slackened 
sail  and  so  did  the  "  Rescue,"  and  hove  to  near 
us.  Soon  the  larger  of  the  two  vessels  was  along 
side,  and  her  captain  came  on  board.  It  was 
Penny  with  his  s(|uadron — the  "  I.ady  Franklin  " 
and  the  "  Sophia  " — bound  with  us  tc  --earch  for 
the  lost.  Such  a  greeting  was  exchanged  as  those 
only  can  give  who  are  bound  together  by  like  toils 
and  aims.  When  the  "  Franklin  "  started  off,  acain 
there  came  booming  over  the  sea  a  hearty  old  En- 
glish hurra — "three  cheers,  hearty,  with  a  will." 
Our  boys  "stood  aloft,"  and  gave  back  the  'greet- 
ing witli  vociferous  earnestness. 

At  eight  o'clock  the  same  day  we  were  in  '  \n- 
caster  Sound,  groping  our  way  through  the  fog, 
and  staggering  under  a  heavy  sea  and  a  tempest 
of  wind.  A  day  later,  early  in  the  morning,  a 
vessel  was  reported  ahead,  tugging  after  her  a 
small  sailing  craft.  ^Ve  shook  out  our  reefs  and 
scud  before  the  gale,  the  sea  dashing  over  us  at 
every  roll.  \\'e  soon  came  up  with  the  stranger. 
It  was  the    "  Felix,"  Sir   John   Ross  commander. 


with  her  little  tender,  the  "  Marv 


'I'he  hailin*' 


ofificer.   in   the  midst  of  our  talk,   shouted. 


Vou 


li 


','* 
\^j, 


it 
if) 


f 


and  I  are  ahead  of  them  all  I  "    So  it  was,    Penny 


w 


m 


m 


^f 


Mi 


\i 


t . 


M      s 


f      '■ 


;  i    I 


I   i 


r 


246 


Arctic  Heroes. 


was  astern,  and  Captain  Austin,  with  nis  sailing 
sliips  and  steam  proj)ellers,  was  liovcring  about 
tlio  mouth  of  the  sound.  • 

Soon  Si/  John  himself  came  on  deck,  and  stood 
l)eside  his  hailing  officer.  He  was  a  sipiare-built 
man,  apparently,  but  a  little  stricken  in  years,  and 
well  al)le,  as  he  was  willing,  to  bear  his  jjart  of  the 
rough  toil  of  arctic  search,  tie  was  in  the  very 
region  where,  seventeen  years  before,  he  was 
picked  up,  after  four  ;  accessive  winters  spent  in 
polar  snows. 

The  next  morning  we  had  passed  the  opening 
into  Regent  Inlet,  and  sighted  Port  Leopold,  on 
its  north-western  side,  ^\'e  were  anxiously  locjk- 
ing  for  a  "  lead  "  into  the  harbor,  for  the  ice  beset 
it,  when  we  saw  a  top-sail  schooner  working  out 
to  me'.c  us.  Her  commander  was  soon  on  our 
deck.  It  was  Lady  Franklin's  own  searching 
vessel,  the  "  Prince  Albert  *  " 

The  "  Rescue"  had  gone  to  Ca})e  Riley,  at  the 
eastern  side  of  the  entrance  to  Wellington  Channel, 
and  we  pushed  forward  immediately  to  that  point 
in  company  with  the  "  Prince  Albert."  On  arriv- 
ing there  we  learned  that  Lieutenant  Griffin,  of 
the  "  Rescue,"  had  shared  with  the  J-nglish  steam- 
propeller  squadron  in  the  discovery  of  the  evi- 
dence of  Sir  John  Franklin's  first  winter  encamp- 
ment. The  commanders,  Ross,  Penny,  and  De 
Haven,  soon  met  on  board  the  "  Felix  "  to  ar- 
range i)lans  of  further  search,  and  the  greatest 
harmony  of  feeling  prevailed.  Our  pan  was  to 
push  up  Wellington  Channel.    While  these  ofhcers 


i    • 


sailing 
r  about 

d  stood 
rc-built 
irs,  and 
t  of  the 
le  very 
le  was 
pent  in 

Dpening 
lold,  on 
ly  look- 
:e  beset 
ing  out 
on  our 
arching 

•,  at  the 
Jiannel, 
at  point 
n  arriv- 
iffin,  of 
I  steam- 
he  evi- 
ncanip- 
and  De 
to  ar- 
[greatest 
was  to 
oflicers 


Freaks  of  AtmospJicric  Refraction.       247 

were  in  council  an  excited  messenger  came  run- 
ning over  the  ice  with  thrilling  news.  "  (iraves!  " 
he  shouted.  "Graves,  sir!  graves  of  Franklin's 
men  !  "    We  all  hurried  off  to  see  for  ourselves. 

An  account  of  these  marks  of  Franklin's  winter- 
quarters  has  been  given  by  Lieutenant  Osborne, 
of  the  propeller  squadron,  and  we  need  not  repeat 
them.  The  hint  they  gave  us  inspired  our  zeal 
to  obtain  further  knowledge  of  his  fate.  At  two 
o'clock  in  the  morning  of  September  4  we  were 
awakened  by  Captain  De  Haven  to  witness  the 
rare  appearance  and  movements  of  the  ice.  •  We 
had  seen  the  wonders  of  the  floes,  but  this  was 
the  mobc  wonderful.  The  thickness  of  some  of 
the  cakes  of  ice  which  had  been  raised  upon 
the  floes  by  their  collision  was  fourteen  feet ! 
They  were  piled  in  hummocks  not  seldom  forty 
feet  high  !  We  were  fast  to  a  great  floe  by  three 
anchors.  The  wind  was  blowing  a  fresh  breeze 
from  the  north,  and  huge  ice  rafts,  with  up-piled 
blocks,  far  above  our  heads,  were  scudding  past 
us  to  the  west,  under  the  pro])elling  power  of  the 
current.  They  created  a  decided  sensation  among 
U;  as  we  stood  watching  them  from  our  deck. 
There  comes  a  monster  thirty  feet  high  !  Will  he 
smash  in  our  stern  .''  No,  he  shies  off  so  near  that 
we  are  fanned  by  the  wind  of  his  crystal  sails. 
There  comes  another  whose  projecting  crags  will 
certainly  become  entangled  in  our  rigging  and 
sweep  away  our  masts.  No,  he  too  just  touches 
us  with  his  frosty  fingers,  as  if  forbidden  to  do 
more,  and  then  swings  off  into  the  deeper  current. 


^f' 


,1' 


m 


li 


'i\ 


'u^ 


fi 


4* 


M    I 


ji^ 


n 


M 


!l 


I' 


i!        I 


u 


f  r  '^ 


248 


Arctic  Heroes. 


A  little  ]-)rojection  of  the  main  floe  into  the  chan- 
nel turns  them  aside  as  they  a[)proach  us.  How 
plainly  do  we  see  in  ihis  arrangement  the  care 
over  us  of  llim  who  made  the  sea,  and  directs  all 
that  is  in  it. 

While  we  were  coasting  during  the  day  along 
the  floe  and  sighting  the  western  shore  of  Welling- 
ton Channel  a  bear  attracted  our  attention.  As 
exciting  as  such  a  sight  always  is,  we  could  not 
stop  to  chase  him.  But  he  was  very  obliging. 
Instead  of  striking  landward,  he  plunged  into  the 
water  just  ahead  of  us.  Dr.  Kane  and  one  other 
of  the  officers  brought  tlieir  guns  to  bear  at  a  fair 
range  and  fired  at  the  same  moment.  0//e  of  the 
bullets  went  amiss,  indicating  its  course  by  splash- 
ing in  the  water  just  ahead  of  its  mark.  The 
other  killed  the  bear  outriglit.  The  boats  were 
got  out,  and  he  was  brought  alongside  and  with 
difficulty  hoisted  aboard.  He  was  a  monster, 
weighing,  we  estimated,  sixteen  hundred  pounds. 
He  measured  nine  feet  from  tip  to  tip,  and  his 
carcass  was  larger  than  that  of  an  ordinary  ox 
when  fatted  for  the  market.  His  build  was  solid, 
and  the  muscles  of  his  arms  and  haunches  fear- 
fully developed. 

The  question  was  pleasantly  raised  Whose 
bullet  hit  ?  It  was  found  that  the  one  which  had 
done  the  murderous  deed  had  entered  the  ear 
and  lodged  in  the  brain.  This  was  weighed  and 
])roved  to  belong  to  Dr.  Kane's  gun.  It  was  his 
first  bear !  H-e  skinned  him  on  deck  the  next 
morning  with  the  thermometer  below  zero.     This 


Freaks  of  AtDiospJicric  Refract  ion.       249 


ister, 
mds. 
his 
-y  ox 
iolid, 
"car- 

'hose 

had 

ear 

and 

s  his 

next 

This 


skin  is  now  in  the  rooms  of  the  Academy  of  Nat- 
ural Science  at  Philadeli)hia. 

Our  game  was  at  this  time  two  bears,  three 
seals,  a  single  goose,  and  a  fair  table  allowance  of 
smaller  sea-fowl.  The  goose  was  killed  by  officer 
Murdaugh,  on  the  wing,  with  a  rifle.  The  "  Res- 
cue "  boasts  of  four  bears,  two  hares,  and  a  supply 
of  smaller  game.  It  must  be  recollected  that  our 
hunting  was  not  systematically  done,  but  was  only 
incidental  to  our  other  absorbing  business. 

On  the  eleventh  of  September  all  the  searching 
vessels  except  Penny's  were  clinging  by  their 
anchors  to  the  fast  ice  near  (Griffith  Island.  The 
next  day  we  had  a  fearful  experience.  The  wind 
blew  a  gale,  driving  before  it  clouds  of  heavy 
snow.  The  "  Rescue  "  snapped  her  hawsers  and 
disappeared  to  the  seaward,  leaving  two  men,  her 
boat,  and  her  ice-anchors  behind.  The  "  Ad- 
vance "  snapped  her  stern  cable,  lost  her  anchor 
and  swung  out,  but  s!ie  fortunately  held  by  the 
forward  line.  The  English  squadron  i)arted  some 
of  their  hawsers,  and  were  in  momentary  danger 
of  coming  down  upon  us.  The  wind  roared,  and 
poured  upon  us  its  sleet  and  snow,  and  every  thing 
about  the  vessel  froze.  To  add  to  the  tcrrible- 
ness  of  our  situation,  tlie  main  Hoe  threatened  to 
part,  and  carry  us  ;.way  with  the  liberated  ice, 
with  our  running  rigging  so  ice-encumbered  as  to 
make  the  working  of  the  vessel  impossible.  We 
are  at  sea,  some  distance  from  the  shore,  whose 
harbors  are  unknown  to  us,  even  if  the  wind  and 
ice  permitted  us  to  seek  one.  We  see  signs  of 
16 


\. 

'v> 

li 

rx: 

■uidu 

1 

-  ^^ 


■■\\ 


I  ! 


IV] 

(•I 


■:. 


Mi 


i 


i^'i 


■I 


f 


I        I 

f 


250 


Arctic  Heroes. 


cheerful  fires  on  board  the  English  vessels.  We 
yet  have  none.  About  noon  the  whole  fleet,  hav- 
ing knocked  off  the  ice  as  best  it  could,  got  under 
way  for  Clriffith  Island,  from  which  we  had  drifted 
about  fifteen  miles.  We  were  in  anxious  search 
for  our  lost  consort.  We  were  staggering  under 
all  sail,  running  for  our  lives,  striking  the  ice  with 
our  seven  and  a  half  solid  feet  bows,  with  such 
fearful  blows  that  our  vessel  quivered  like  a  leaf. 
While  thus  struggling,  we  came  in  sight  of  the 
"  Rescue  "  close  under  the  island.  We  at  once 
drove  our  hard-headed  little  brig  into  the  inter- 
vening ice,  determined  to  lay  alongside  of  her. 
She  nobly  thumped  her  way  through,  the  English 
following  "  the  mad  Yankees." 

No  sooner  had  we  thus  opened  a  channel  to  the 
"  Rescue  "  than  orders  were  given  by  Captain  De 
Haven  to  both  vessels  to  bear  away  for  home  ! 
All  regretted  this,  but  so  the  home  authorities  had 
commanded.  We  were  not  to  spend  the  winter  in 
the  ice  unless  under  7'cry  extraordinary  circum- 
stances such  as  were  not  now  upon  us.  We 
parted  with  our  fellow-explorers  with  sincere 
regret.  Only  courtesies  and  hearty  good-will  had 
been  received  from  them,  and  many  lasting  friend- 
ships had  been  formed.  Some  of  our  officers  pro- 
posed exchanging  places  with  any  of  theirs  who 
might  desire  to  return  home;  but  none  such  were 
found.  Our  captain  tendered  them  a  part  of  our 
supply  of  provisions,  and  a  point  on  the  shore  was 
agreed  upon  on  which,  if  we  were  able  to  land, 
we  were  to  make  a  deposit. 


M 


n 


We 
hav- 
mdcr 
rifted 
carch 
under 
^  with 

such 
a  leaf, 
of  the 
L   once 

inter- 
of  her. 
SngUsh 

1  to  the 
ain  De 
home ! 
ies  had 
inter  in 
ircum- 
s.      We 
sincere 
vill  bad 
friend- 
ers  pro- 
irs  who 
ch  were 
t  of  our 
ore  was 
to  hand, 


Freaks  of  Atuiosplicyic  Refraction.       251 

In  a  short  time  we  had  the  "  Rescue  "  in  tow 
steering  westward. 

As  we  were  jKissing  a  curve  of  the  coast  soon 
after,  the  captain  called  Dr.  Kane's  attention  to  the 
shore-line  six  miles  off.  He  looked,  and  saw  the 
naked  spars  of  two  vessels.  "  Brigs,"  says  Kane. 
"Without  doul)t,"  rej^lies  De  Haven,  Luth  at 
once  exclaimed,  "Penny!"  On  taking  a  glass, 
the  masts,  yards,  gaffs,  every  thing  but  the  bo\('- 
sprit,  were  distinctly  seen.  Oflicer  Dovell  was 
called  and  saw  tli^'  *same.  Murdaugh  hurries  up, 
half  dressed,  from  the  cabin,  takes  a  good  spyglass 
and  looks.  He  sees  a  third  vessel.  'I'he  rest 
look,  all  see  the  third  one  and  pronounce  it  the 
"Felix"— old  Sir  John  Ross. 

We  change  our  course,  and  run  in  to  s[)eak 
with  them.  A  fog  settles  aown  between  us,  but 
still  we  keep  on.  The  fog  in  a  few  moments 
clears  away,  there  is  only  three  miles  between  us 
and  them.  We  look,  there  is  not  a  vessel  to  be 
seen!  We  take  a  powerful  glass,  and  see  only 
some  hummocks  of  ice  !  We  were  "  sold  "  again 
by  that  polar  cheat,  refraction.  We  were  reluc- 
tant to  accept  the  joke,  and  went  musing  and  mur- 
muring away,  saying  :  "  How  could  we  be  so  de- 
ceived !  " 

Soon  after  this  the  captain  shouted  down  the 
cabin  stairs:  "Doctor,  we  are  frozen  u])I"  Yes, 
we  were  Irozen  up  in  mid-channel,  at  the  mouth 
of  the  great  Wellington  ('hannel !  What  now 
about  our  going  home  !  how  about  not  wintering 
in  the  ice! ! 


il 


•jj 


:  u 


i! 


m 


all 

% 


VX' 


r 


-;i 


i 


m 


1 . 

.;,!-!        . 

fi  ■ 

M  A 


r 

' 

1 

.1 

hv\ 

V   IS 

>  ■' ' 

1 

k( 

;  • 

1  ■  ■ 

ji« 

,:,\ 

Ml'  ,      ; 

iiM 

'* 

ili;   •' 

Wm 

;  .*  ^f 

mk", 

'    } 

u 

,_    , 

\'" 

^'t : 

252 


Arctic  Heroes. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

DE    HAVEN'S    WONDERFUL    DRIFT. 

TillC  ice-island  wliich  had  thrown  its  frosty 
arms  around  our  shi[)s  as  we  were  attempt- 
ing to  ])ass  the  entrance  of  Wellington  Channel 
lield  them  firmly.  Up  the  channel  northward  it 
hurried  with  us.  In  vain  we  entreated  and  pro- 
tested that  we  desired  to  go  ras/,  not  north  !  Our 
island  was  fiercely  assailed  at  times  by  heavy 
floes,  now  making  their  attacks  on  this  side,  then 
on  that,  and  occasionally  on  both  sides  at  once. 
At  one  time  the  ice  near  our  ship,  pressed  by  a 
fearful  power,  cracked ;  its  outer  edge  of  fourteen 
inches  of  solid  ice  turned  up  and  rose  in  great 
tables,  high  in  the  air,  until  by  its  weight  it 
toppled  over.  This  was  followed  by  other  tables, 
sliding  up  the  broken  fragments  of  the  last,  so 
forming  heavy  piles  of  ice  rubbish,  which  after  a 
while  would  sink  into  the  sea. 

While  thus  the  floes  were  toying  with  us,  and  at 
times  seeming  intent  on  crushing  us,  the  current 
would  occasionally  swing  us  round  through  all  the 
points  of  the  compass,  giving  us  quite  a  sail  south, 
as  if  to  flatter  us  with  the  hope  of  the  homeward 
voyage,  while  yet  we  were  making  daily  advance 
northward. 

The  collision  of  the  floes  at  this  time  gave  us 


De  llavcHs   Wonderful  Drift,  253 


frosty 

2m  pt- 

annel 

ard  it 

I  pro- 
Our 

heavy 

;,  then 
once. 

d  by  a 

urteen 

great 

rht    it 

ables, 

ist,   so 

after  a 

and  at 
urrent 
all  the 
south, 
lie  ward 
dvance 

cave  us 


n 


our  first  sight  of  a  phenomenon  of  whiili  other 
explorers  have  sjjoken.  When  iii  the  darkness  of 
the  niglU  the  great  ice-tables  were  hurled  upon 
each  other,  a  phosphorescent  light  was  emitted,  like 
that  of  fire-fiies,  or  the  "fox  fire"  of  southern 
meadows.     It  was  verv  beautiful. 

At  the  end  of  our  first  week  of  drifting  we  had 
made  sixty  miles  from  the  entrance  of  the  channel, 
and  s'till  we  headed  northward. 

One  day  a  black  fox  came  near  our  vessel, 
nimbly  skipping  from  hummock  to  hummock. 
He  looked  cheerful,  but  desolate,  away,  as  he  was, 
seven  miles  from  the  nearest  land — a  land  look- 
ing as  dreary  as  the  ice-fields  themselves.  Our 
sailors  set  a  trap  for  him.  In  the  night  we  heard 
his  bark,  and  were  sure  he  would  be  their  prize  in 
the  morning.  But  Dr.  Kane,  having  killed  a  seal 
the  day  before,  and  pitying  the  little  wanderer, 
had  crept  slyly  out  and  put  some  of  the  offal,  (}uite 
a  pile,  outside  of  the  snare.  Fox  had  a  splendid 
supper  without  pay  or  penalty,  and  went  on  his 
way  rejoicing. 

We  try  to  be  merry  as  we  drift  away  into  the 
unknown  nor^h.  The  "  Rescue  "  was  all  the  while 
fixed  in  the  ice  near  us.  We  began  to  think  of  the 
necessity  of  wintering  thus  bound  in  arctic  fetters. 
The  ice  about  our  ships  was  adjusted  to  our  con- 
venience. We  began  to  put  some  tons  of  the 
coal  from  our  hold.  The  boats  were  drawn  about 
twenty  paces  from  the  bow,  and  all  hands  were 
at  work  getting  ready  the  deck  to  be  covered  in 
by   "a  felt"   we    had    brought   for    the    purpose. 


M 


w 


% 


^■4 


^ 


r* 


I 


'! 


n 


i|l! 


f    r 


ii 


1  : , 


:!»'! 


1 

t 

t 

i 

;      < 

! 

(i 

1 .     < 
'      I' 

< 

I 

\ 

4 

»      - 

"   <s 

^54 


Arctic  Heroes, 


Two  officers  had  been  sent  to  the  shore  to 
select  a  i)lace  for  a  provision  depot.  lUit,  whew  ! 
Mhat  a  noise  tlic  floes  suddenly  made,  as  if  indig- 
nant that  ///I'/r  i)ermission  hnd  not  been  asked 
before  entering  upon  the  arrangements.  Their 
mustering  forces  hummed  like  bees  and  whined  like 
pui)pies,  while  now  and  then  came  crashes  like  an 
avalanche  and  e.\i)losions  like  thunder,  'i'he  land 
l)arty  hurried  back  in  breathless  haste.  All  hands 
rushed  for  the  boats  and  stores  we  had  transferred 
to  the  floe.  Before  dark  all  was  on  board  excejjt 
about  two  tons  of  coal,  and  the  ice  was  in  motion 
in  every  direction.  Our  little  cabin  had  been 
cheerless  enough.  Every  thing  dripped  with 
steam,  and  was  damp  and  cold.  "A  Cornelius 
Lard  Lamp"  had  been  hung  up  and  put  in  oj)era- 
tion  in  the  middle  of  Se])tember,  and  afforded 
great  relief.  Our  stove  was  not  uj)  until  the  19th. 
Now,  October  2,  we  were  surrounded  by  an  arctic 
frost-smoke,  which  made  the  darkness  without 
murky,  waving — a  peculiar,  unnatural  darkness. 
The  light  and  heat  within,  though  poor,  were 
strangely  welcome. 

The  ice  soon  knit  together  again,  the  frost- smoke 
lifted  up,  and  its  /eU  darkness  disappeared.  Dr. 
Kane  went  out,  gun  in  hand,  and  sat  down,  Es- 
quimo-like,  by  a  seal-hole.  With  the  thermometer 
lo*-'  below  zero,  and  the  necessity  oi perfect  stillness 
to  assure  success,  it  was  no  fun.  One  tedious 
hour  he  waited ;  some  young  seals  appeared,  he 
fired,  missed,  and  they  darted  away.  Another 
hour   and    they    came    again.      He    says:    "Very 


if 


Dc  Haven  s  WoiulcrJ it!  Drift.  255 


strange  are  those  seals  I  A  countenance  between 
the  dog  and  wihl  African  ape — an  expression  so 
like  that  of  huniariiiy  that  it  mukes  gun-murderers 
liesitate.  At  last,  at  long  shot,  I  hit  one.  God 
forgive  me!  The  ball  did  not  kill  outright.  It 
was  out  of  range,  struck  too  low,  and  entered  the 
lungs.  The  poor  beast  had  risen  breast  high  out 
of  water,  like  the  treading-water  swimmers  among 
ourselves.  Me  was  thus  supported,  looking  about 
witli  curious,  expectant  eyes,  when  the  ball  struck 
liis  lungs. 

"  For  a  moment  he  oozed  a  little  bright  blood 
from  his  mouth,  and  looked  toward  me  with  a  sort 
of  startled  reproachfulness.  Then  he  dipped;  an 
instant  after  he  came  up  still  nearer,  looked  again, 
bied  again,  and  went  down.  A  half  instant  after 
\v)  came  up  flurriedly,  Ijoked  about  with  anguish  in 
h'o  eyes,  for  he  was  (|uite  near  me  ;  but  slowly  he 
sunk,  struggling  feebly,  rose  again,  sunk  again, 
struggled  a  very  little  more.  'I'he  thing  was 
drowning  in  the  element  of  his  sportive  revels. 
He  did  drown  finally,  and  sunk;   so  I  lost  him 

"  Have  naturalists  ever  noticed  the  expression 
on  thin  animal's  phiz }  Curiosity,  contentment, 
pain,  reproach,  despair,  even  resignation,  I  thought 
I  saw  on  this  seal's  face. 

"  About  half  an  hour  afterward  I  killed  another. 
Scurvy  and  sea-life  craving  for  tlesh  meat  led  me 
to  it ;  but  I  shot  him  dead  !  " 

A  fox  was  caught  about  the  same  time.  We 
ate  of  fox  and  seal  and  pronounced  them  good. 

Sunday,  October    6,    vvas    a   dismal    day.      We 


is, 


ttiM 


14.: 


*1 


r 


1 1 


i! 
ii 


f- 

1 


I     !.i 


I"  ;         -, : 

'■■•    *'i 

■■io     I'- 


f. 


256 


Arctic  Heroes. 


were  fast  in  a  luige  cake  of  ice,  driving  southward 
before  a  furious  gale.  Away  we  sped,  onward, 
onward  for  two  days,  during  which  we  made  sixty 
miles,  reached  the  outlet  of  Wellington  Channel, 
from  which  we  had  been  violently  dragged. 

While  thus  beating  about  we  caught  a  white  fox 
alive.  He  resented  the  chains  of  spun-yarn  and 
leather  which  bound  him,  but  always  had  com- 
posure enough  for  picking  the  meat  from  the 
bones  which  were  thrown  to  him  and  for  eating 
snow  ;  he  would  not  touch  water.  His  cry  resem- 
bled that  of  a  small  boy  undergoing  a  si)anking  ; 
its  tones  expressed  not  only  fear  and  j^ain,  but 
spite  and  ill-temper.  He  soon,  however,  became 
good-natured.  He  would  eat  from  our  hands  the 
next  day.  Twice  he  was  set  at  liberty,  but  he  re- 
turned both  times  to  our  L.a[)  a  few  hours  after  his 
liberation. 

These  white  foxes  seemed  to  have  no  instinctive 
fear  of  man.  They  appron'^hed  the  ship's  side 
with  more  curiosity  than  fear.  If  we  fired  deadly 
shot  among  them  they  scampered  off  but  for  a  mo- 
ment and  returned.  When  we  went  out  to  them 
on  the  ice  we  were  allowed  almost  to  touch  them 
\v'ith  our  hands.  If  we  shouted  they  ran  round  us 
in  a  nar'-ow  circle,  stopj^ed  and  stared  when  we 
were  still.  One  little  fellow  was  caught,  put  in  a 
box  on  deck,  fed  for  a  few  days,  and  liberated. 
He  scampered  away  a  few  rods,  stopped,  con- 
sidered, and  returned  to  his  c  ubby  on  deck. 

Beintj  for  thrje  weeks  detained  at  the  fickle 
will   of  our  ice-raft  about  Wellington   Strait,  Dr. 


I  .t 


Dc  Hai <cn 's  II 'ondcyful  Drift.  J 5 7 


Kane  put  into  effect  his  long-meditated  attempt  to 
communicate  with  the  English  fleet  at  Union  15ay, 
where  we  had  left  them.  After  facing  appalling 
dangers,  and  making  repeated  trials,  the  enterprise 
was  reluctantly  abandoned. 

It  was  now  the  eighth  of  November,  and  our 
winter-quarters,  such  as  they  were,  were  com- 
plied. The  deck  had  its  covering  of  felt  drawn 
down  to  the  sides  of  the  vessel.  The  room  occu- 
pied by  the  seamen  and  that  of  the  officers  was 
made  one  by  knocking  away  the  cabin  partition, 
the  two  stov'es  thus  warming  all  alike.  The  ofti- 
cers  and  rien  of  the  "  Rescue  "  had  been  ordered 
on  board  the  "Advance,"  and  we  made  one  fam- 
ily. We  banked  up  the  sides  Oi  the  vessel  with 
snow,  uj)  to  the  felt,  thus  increasing  our  defense 
against  the  cola.  Thus  pre})ared,  we  could  only 
wait  the  will  of  our  crvstal  raft. 

To  occu[)y  the  minds  of  the  men  profitably 
during  the  slowly-moving  days.  Dr.  Kane  gave  a 
series  of  popular  lectures  on  science.  They  were 
well  received. 

During  the  latter  part  of  November  our  ice- 
land  had  enlarged  its  dimensions  to  a  fioe  of 
several  scjuare  miles,  and  this  great  raft  had 
swung  round,  putting  its  sharp  end  toward  the 
south,  and  giving  indications  of  conducting  us  on 
our  homewarci  voyage.  I5ut  we  commenced 
December  cradled  again  on  a  paltry  little  island, 
the  "  Rescue  "  still  near  us.  Away  we  drifted, 
the  sport  of  contending  Hoes  which  threatened 
hourly  to  sink  or  crush  us.     At  times  our  island 


"*?. 


!*« 


tW^^sm 


258 


Arctic  Heroes. 


i\ 


^ 


:l 


■;^ 


''i 


» 


1 
i 

' 

i1'  ■ 

1          ( 

t 

'    ■      ^'     ' 

■•     ,1 

. 

«  ' 

"  ?. 

l^'i. 

was  not  more  than  three  hundred  yards  in  diam- 
eter, yet  it  held  us  in  its  grip.  The  floes  would 
hatter  and  crack  it,  let  our  vessels  down,  lift  them 
up,  change  their  position,  but  always  closing  them 
up  again  and  insuring  their  imprisonment.  Our 
liability  cT  being  witnesses  of  the  sinking  or  crush- 
ing of  the  vessels  was  so  imminent  that  we  lived 
in  a  studied  preparation  to  abandon  them.  Mr. 
(Iriffin,  commander  of  the  "  Rescue,"  was  ap- 
])ointed  as  the  executive  officer  to  organize  and 
drill  the  united  crews  in  reference  to  such  an 
emergency.  He  mustered  them  upon  the  ice 
A\ith  knapsacks  fitted  to  their  backs,  filled  with 
such  indispensable  articles  as  they  would  carry, 
and  every  man  harnessed  to  his  appointed  sledge 
in  due  order.  Provisions  are  all  packed,  and 
stores  of  all  kinds  put  in  compact  order  and  duly 
marked.  The  men  are  taught  everv  one  his 
place,  and  specific  duty,  at  the  instant  of  the 
crisis,  'i'he  little  home  Bibles  and  precious  me- 
mentos were  slyly  tucked  in  the  knajjsacks. 

I'he  coolness  of  the  men  under  these  circum- 
stances is  well  illustrated  by  the  following  inci- 
dent :  The  ''  Advance  "  had  been  lifted  upon  the 
ice  and  so  far  laid  upon  her  side  that  orders  were 
given  to  abandon  her,  as  it  was  likely  she  would 
be  thrown  upon  her  beam  ends.  As  we  stood 
upon  the  ice,  thinking  all  were  out,  Boatswain 
Brooks  shouted,  "  Stand  from  under,"  as  the  craft 
vibrated  with  the  jtressure  upon  her.  Just  then 
an  officer,  recollecting  that  the  fires  in  the  stoves 
had  not  been  put  out,  and  that  they  would  set  the 


Dc  Ha 7  'oi  's  W  'ofida'fjil  Drift.  259 


vessel  on  fire,  and  thus  insure  the  loss  of  every 
thing,  climbed  back  into  the  hohl.  'I'here  at  the 
mess-table  sat  an  officer  who  had  been  a  few  mo- 
ments before  relieved  from  watch-duly  quietly 
eating  his  dinner,  and  the  cook  as  ([uietly  waiting 
upon  him.  "  Vou  see,"  remarked  tlie  hungry  man, 
"you  are  one  meal  ahead  of  me.  You  didn't 
think  I  was  going  out  upon  the  ice  without  my  din- 
ner.?" Cai)tain  De  Haven,  in  his  official  report, 
mentions  the  gallantry  and  unflinching  bravery  of 
all  the  officers,  and  the  good  conduct  and  subordi- 
nation of  the  men  in  this  and  all  such  ]jerils. 

But  our  vessel  righted  uj)  a  little,  her  bows 
sunk  low  in  the  ice,  and  her  stern  lifted  up,  mak- 
ing an  inclined  plane  of  the  deck  from  the  stern 
forward.  Thus  she  was  mucli  raked  by  the 
wind  greatly  to  our  discomfort,  as  we  felt  the  cold 
through  her  sides,  now  no  longer  banked  with 
snow.  In  this  truly  arctic  i)osition  we  drifted 
steadily  along  the  north  shore  of  Lancaster  Sound, 
and  began  already  to  anticipate  our  rush  into  the 
cross  current  of  Baffin  Bav. 

To  be  further  prepared  for  the  impending  crisis, 
some  of  us  tried  tramps  on  the  ice-floe,  and  camp- 
ing out,  in  tents  and  sleeping-bags.  The  experi- 
ment did  not  give  cheering  promise  of  any  good 
time  to  come  when  the  shipr  should  be  destroyed. 

A  poor  bear  ventured  one  night  near  the  vessel. 
An  officer  fired  at  his  retreating  shadow.  'J'he 
next  morning  he  was  found  dead  some  three  hun- 
dred yards  from  the  sliijv  ^\<t  was  wedged  be- 
tween   two   cakes   of   ice,  and    had  in  his  agony 


If- 


w. 


ty 


f  :  ;>■ 


%\ 


.-  / 

I 

H 

t 

j 

i  ' 

\-l 

♦ 

'  E'* 

I* 

'.< 

'  » 

^f 

i'» 

1  .' 

( 

t    ■ 

.    J 

M 


11 


,1 

i 


;  ! 


11 : 


it 


■  f 


n  f 


;,  «,!. 


260 


Arctic  Heroes. 


rubbed  his  muzzle  deep  into  the  frozen  snow.  In 
his  death-march  lie  had  twice  stopped  to  lie  down, 
marking  each  spot  with  ])Ools  of  blood. 

A  poor  little  fox  fell,  too,  before  our  sharp- 
shooters. We  pitied  the  beasts,  struggling  to  live 
in  this  waste,  howling,  arctic  wilderness,  but  they 
were  eaten  most  joyously. 

The  effect  of  our  isolated  condition,  and  the 
ever  present  darkness,  rendered  more  intense  by 
a  nightly,  hazy  obscurity,  began  to  be  apparent  in 
our  physical  and  moral  condition.  Our  com- 
plexions were  toned  down  to  a  peculiar  waxy 
paleness.  Sunken  eyes,  strangely  clear,  hollow 
cheeks  and  short  breaths  became  general.  Ap- 
])etites  changed,  became  capricious  and  slight. 
Many  became  mood),  irrital)le,  and  imaginative. 
Dreams  invested  our  sleep,  and  were  fondly  talked 
about  when  we  were  awake.  Some,  while  in 
dreamland,  had  laden  themselves  with  luscious 
water-melons  with  which  to  return  on  shipboard. 
Others  had  found  Sir  John  Franklin  in  a  beautiful 
cove,  whose  air  was  perfumed  with  blossoming 
orange  trees.  Our  hard-fisted  matter-of-fact  boat- 
swain heard  three  strange  groans  out  upon  the 
ice.  He  was  sure  of  it,  though  he  could  see  noth- 
ing. The  scurvy  had  touched  several  lightly,  and 
they  were  put  under  careful  and  stringent  medical 
treatment. 

Christmas  came.  We  paraded  our  good  things, 
of  which  we  had  some  store.  We  joked,  but  did 
it  badly  ;  we  laughed  incessantly,  but  our  laugh- 
ing  was  bad,  too  ;  we  sung,  but  our  songs  were 


^ 


now.     In 
ic  down, 

r   sharp- 

4  to  live 

but  they 

and  the 

tense  by 

)arent  in 

ur    com- 

iar  waxy 

,    hollow 

al.     Ap- 

J    slight. 

ginative. 

ly  talked 

while    in 

luscious 

lipboard. 

beautiful 

3ssoming 

let  boat- 

ipon  the 

;ee  noth- 

htly,  and 

medical 

d  things, 
,  but  did 
r  laugh- 
ngs  were 


De  Havoi's  Wonderful  Drift.  261 

boisterously  noisy,  with  neither  time,  tune,  nor 
harmony. 

The  dinner  being  a  pretentious  failure,  the  men 
tried  a  theater.  It  was  on  deck  under  our  canopy. 
The  acting  luas  funny,  and  we  laughed.  None 
knew  their  parts.  The  prompters  could  not  read 
glibly  enough  to  be  of  any  service.  The  gentle- 
women were  brawny,  blundering  men,  dressed  in 
calico.  The  intervals  of  the  orchestra  were  played 
on  a  Jew's-harp  by  a  comic  fellow  from  the  top  of 
a  lard  cask. 

We  had  foot-races  on  the  midnight  ice. 

Nor  were  the  kindly  Christmas  gifts  forgotten. 
Dr.  Kane  found  in  his  stocking  in  the  morning  a 
jackknife,  a  Jew's-harp,  a  piece  of  Castile-soap, 
and  a  string  of  beads. 

The  effort  exhibited  in  these  performances  to 
throw  off  the  mental  and  moral,  as  well  as  physical 
distempers  induced  by  darkness,  cold,  and  dan- 
gers, was  necessary,  whether  this  was  the  best 
way  to  do  it  or  not.  The  officers,  with  the  su- 
perior resources  of  culture,  needed  them  less  than 
the  men.  In  fact,  in  the  cabin,  in  all  these  peril- 
ous, gloomy  days,  an  honest  courtesy  toward  one 
another  was  preserved,  whatever  of  brooding 
home-thoughts  and  inward  forebodings  of  evil 
were  indulged. 

With  the  men  it  was  different.  The  wild  voices 
of  the  ice  and  wind  ;  the  strange  sounds  which 
issued  from  the  ship  ;  the  sudden  terrific  ru})ture 
in  the  da'-kness,  and  without  a})parent  cause,  of  the 
hummcck.  ,    <^he    cracks,    and    the    dark-rushing 


I,  i 


ir 


m 


lift 

1 


u 


.  f 


t 

i 

i 

_  1 

i     ; 

. 

i'  ' 


i^: 


1  •■' 

f  \  ' 

\                                    j 

it 

if 

/                       ■.' 

t 

•   '       "             '       ' 

262 


Arctic  Heroes. 


water  that  filled  them,  and  the  wonder-working 
freaks  of  refraction,  all  stinuilatcd,  sickened,  and 
op}jressed  their  imagination — they  were  (or  the 
forecastle  a  day  and  nightmare  dream  full  of 
horrors ! 

We  are  now  near  the  new  year  of  1851.  We 
are  in  sight  of  Ca})e  Warrender,  the  great  entering 
landmark  of  the  northern  shores  of  Lancaster 
Sound.  We  are  only  a  few  hours  of  favorable 
sailing  from  Bafiin  P)ay,  and  only  twenty-four  from 
Grc  nland.  We  have  averaged  for  ten  days  about 
five  miles  a  day.  We  shall  soon  meet  the  cross 
current  of  the  great  bay  as  it  strikes  that  which 
rushes  out  of  the  sound,  and  then  will  our  situa- 
tion l)e  more  critical  perhai)S  than  ever.  Our 
trust  is  in  Ciod. 

The  new  year,  185 1,  came  in  gloomily  in  spite 
of  an  extra  dinner  and  efforts  to,be  merry.  By  the 
middle  of  January  we  noticed  the  unmistakable 
evidence  that  we  were  in  Bafiin  ]^ay.  Our  knap- 
sacks, sledges,  India-rultber  boat,  and  general 
"  traveling  outfit,"  were  in  momentary  readiness. 
We  put  the  frozen  bear  meat  and  some  barrels  of 
bread  on  the  floe  for  the  emergency.  But  a  sud- 
den rupture  of  the  ice  swept  them  all  away.  So 
after  that  we  kept  in  readiness  our  stock  of  provis- 
ions intended  for  the  sledges  on  deck. 

On  the  second  of  February  the  full  disk  of  the 
sun  appeared  at  a  (juarter  before  eleven.  Al- 
though he  rose  but  to  set,  yet  the  stream  of  light 
which  heralded  his  coming  and  that  which  lin- 
gered  after   his  departure,  as    well   as  his  pres- 


De  Haven 's  Wondtrful  Drift.  263 

ence,  cheered  every  heart,  and  sent  new  iife 
through  the  sliii).  \\'e  kiu-w  he  wouhl  tarry  longer 
at  each  coming  until  he  came  to  stay. 

Sirius,  no  jjale  dog-star  in  these  arctic  regions, 
is  resplendent  in  beauty.  As  it  rises  from  its 
banked  horizon  the  fun-loving  refraction  plays 
with  it  nightly  freaks.  Its  colors  are  blue,  crim- 
son, and  white.  Now  its  shape  is  oval,  now  hour- 
glass, and  then  square.  It  goes  out  into  blank 
darkness,  and  then  flashes  into  life.  It  plays  the 
revolving  light,  as  if  it  would  attract  and  then 
evade  our  notice.  Beautiful,  solacing,  hope-in- 
spiring Sirius  !     Welcome  observer  of  our  dreary 


,  \ 


voyage 

1'o-day,  the  25th  of  February,  Dr.  Kane  caught, 
in  his  reindeer  hood,  a  bug  I  Its  sole  sign  of  life 
was  a  feeble  wriggle.  Nothing  which  shares  our 
principle  of  vitality,  save  a  seal  and  a  fox,  has 
greeted  us  for  months.  The  hardy  sea-fowls  are 
far  away.  Even  the  raven,  that  dismal  croaker, 
dark  bird  of  even  arctic  winter,  clings  to  the  dis- 
tant in-shore  deserts.  "The  terns  are  gone,  and 
so  are  the  musquitoes  !  There  are  no  bugs  in  the 
blankets,  no  nits  in  the  hair,  no  maggots  in  the 
cheese  !  No  specks  of  life  glitter  in  the  sunshine, 
no  sounds  of  it  float  upon  the  air.  We  are  without 
a  single  instinct  of  living  thing  !  " 

It  was  now  early  spring.  We  fflt  that  our  icy 
bonds  must  soon  be  loosened,  and  that  we  should 
want  both  shii)S  in  the  best  possible  repair.  The 
*'  Rescue  "  had  been  handled  with  especial  sever- 
ity ;  her  stern-post  was  battered  away,  her  bow- 


i 


'I 
1  t] 


m 


I*  ;.J; 

m 


w 


I  I 


"I 


,  ,   .      r 


M 

'vl 

h 


;  I 


k'l' 


II  |: 
t 


».»' 


264 


Arctic  Heroes. 


sprit  knocked  off,  and  her  bottom  roughly  beaten. 
Our  nic-n  made  out  of  her  ice-b(id  a  dry  dock  ! 
They  dui,^  a  i)it  about  her  within  eighteen  inches 
of  the  bottom  of  her  keel,  thus  giving  clear  access 
to  her  bottom.  In  three  days  of  hard  and  earnest 
work  she  was  in  good  condition,  ready  for  the 
word  of  command  from  her  gallant  captain. 

From  this  time  onward  hope  grew  stronger 
with  us,  with  the  increasing  length  of  the  day- 
light and  the  increasing  signs  of  spring.  The 
birds  came  and  greeted  us  with  their  harsh  but 
welcome  notes.  Seals  thrust  their  heads  through 
the  ice  and  played  in  the  pools  of  water,  often  to 
their  sorrow,  as  the  fatal  bullet  pierced  them,  but 
to  the  joy  of  our  scurvy-smitten  men.  The  curious 
narwhals  puffed  and  snorted  in  the  water  oi)en- 
ings,  (3ur  old  friend,  the  bear,  whom  we  had  so 
often  loved,  even  unto  his  death,  afforded  us  oc- 
casion for  several  exciting  and  perilous  incidents. 

On  the  24th  of  April  the  officers  and  crew  of 
the  "Rescue"  were  ordered  to  their  own  ship. 
She  had  been  put  in  good  internal  trim,  and  the 
fires  had  blazed  in  her  stoves  for  several  days. 

June  opened  refreshingly.  The  air  was  warm, 
the  breeze  agreeable.  The  snow-birds  in  increas- 
ing numbers  visited  our  deck,  and  delighted  us 
with  their  sweet  jargon.  They  are  confiding  little 
creatures,  approaching  our  very  feet. 

Open  water  is  in  view  from  the  top  of  a  high 
hummock,  and  is  rapidly  coming  nearer. 

On  the  5th  the  long-waited-for  break  up  came. 
A  grand  swell  of  the  sea  under  the  ice  caused  it 


Dc  llavcii  s  ll'outi.ifii/  Pi  iff. 


265 


to  rise  and  fall  in  jj,rcal  waves.  Tlie  disruption 
(  ainc  suddcnl)',  and  with  tciTifM'  force.  It  shat- 
tered our  i(  e-raft  as  window-ghiss  was  shattered 
by  the  careless  halls  of  our  boyhocxl.  But  a  heavy 
fragnient  clunL^  to  our  stern  for  three  days,  in 
which  it  was  cradled,  holding  it  several  feet  out 
of  water,  and  keeping  our  deck  in  its  old  inclined 
plane.  We  thrust  at  it,  drilled  and  sawed  it,  until 
at  last  it  sli[)i)ed  awa\',  and  we  were  on  an  even 
keel  I  .l'\)r  five  days  frc^ni  the  disrui)tion  we 
fought  our  way  slowly  through  hea\'y  floating  ice. 
( )n  the  lolli,  with  a  great  sea,  a  press  of  sail,  and 
a  spanking  bree/e,  we  bore  away  for  (ireenland. 
The  ne.Kt  morning  its  shores  were  in  sight. 

Mow  wonderful  had  been  our  esca})e  from  fatal 
accidents  at  the  moment  of  breaking  uj).  Dr. 
Kane  had  been  in  the  haliit  of  taking  long  and 
solitary  walks  ui)t)n  the  ice,  miles  from  the  ship. 
He  had  greased  his  boots  for  a  walk  a  few  hours 
before  the  change,  and  would  have  been  off  but 
for  an  absorbing  interest  in  a  bo(jk  he  was  reading. 

The  commander  of  the  "  Rescue  "  was  on  board 
the  "  Advance  "  when  the  shock  which  unfettered 
us  came.  He  rushed  homeward,  leaping  the  ice- 
cracks,  Avhich  opened  immediately  behind  him 
in  impassable  chasms,  reached  his  deck  safely,  and 
waved  us  an  adieu. 

How  wonderful,  too,  had  been  our  drift  I  con- 
tinuing throuiih  nearlv  nine  months  of  time,  and 


more  than  a  thousand  nr 


Ics  O 


f  distance  I      \'et 


we 


were   safe,   and,   though   scurvy-smitten,    ready   to 

renew  the  fight,  along  the  western  coast  of  Green- 
17 


ill 
111'' 


I;'- 


13 


^^1  ■ 


^^ 


I 


I  ■ 


i 


w 


:m 


266 


Arctic  IIlkuks. 


land — the  old,  |)erilous  track — int(i  tlic  north 
water,  throuj^h  Lancaster  Sound  and  I^arrow 
^  Strait,  u\)  ^A'ellington  Channel,  and  thus  renew  and 
finish  the  search  for  Franklin!  Ml  this  we  at- 
tempted to  do !  We  fouL;;ht  ice  and  cold  again 
until  August  19,  reaching  North  Haftin  Bay.  Here, 
cri))pled,  scurvy-ridden,  and  haflled  at  every  turn, 
tlie  game  of  another  Wellington  Channel  search 
jjlayed  out  I  We  could  honorably  show  the  white 
feather  and  turn  toward  New  York,  where  we 
arrived  September  30,  1H51,  and  were  welcomed 
on  the  pier  by  our  noble  friend,  Henry  Grinnell. 


I 

i! 
"i 

I 

■  » 


* 
'« 

,1 

it 

1   ■ 

■ 

si 

i 

■    '    i 

,:{ 

f 

?" . 

1* 

■, 

! 

* 

ii 

■J 

■ 

1» 


TJi€  North-ivest  Passiii^c  Discovered.     267 


'k 


CHAPIKR  XXIII. 

TllK    NORTH-\Vi:ST    PASSAGE    DISCOVKKKD. 

T\\\\  Iln^^lish  fleet,  whose  career  we  have 
noticed,  saihng  under  Austin,  Sir  Jolin  Ross, 
and  Penny,  returned  home,  as  we  have  seen,  the 
same  fall  in  which  l)e  Haven  reached  New  Vork. 
iJut  other  explorers  were  still  in  the  arctic  ice. 
Let  us  glance  at  their  history. 

The  well-tried  ami  s])lendidly  eciuipped  shii)s, 
"  Enterprise  "and  '*  Investigator,"  were  di>pat(  hcd 
to  Bering  Strait,  starting  January  10,  1S50.  It 
was  commanded  by  Captain  Richard  Collinson, 
in  the  "Enterprise,"  Cajjtaiii  Robert  M'Clurc 
commanding  in  the  "Investigator."  j'hey  were 
commissioned  to  find  Sir  John  Franklin,  and,  by 
sailing  from  the  I'acific  easterly  to  the  Atlantic, 
to  prove  the  north-west  i)assage.  The  ships  were 
separated  befo  e  reaching  liering  Strait,  and  did 
not  again  meet.  We  shall  give  the  story  of 
M'Clure,  as  his  voyage  was  one  of  deejjly  inter- 
esting results. 

It  will  be  recollected  that  no  ship  had  sailed  far 
into  the  ice  from  this  point.  Ihit  boat  and  sledge 
parties  from  various  points  had  explored  great 
distances  along  the  coast.  M'Clure  met  the 
"Plover"  at  the  edge  of  the  ice-field,  which  had 
been  stationed  there  with  supplies;  he  also  fell  \\\ 


% 


'■.is 


:^^. 


■%,  'It 


u 


f 


■  t  ,  1 


I : 


!        ■ 

1 

26S 


Arctic  11i.koi:s. 


with  the  "  ITcrahl,"  \vlii<h  <  amc  annually  to  renew 
llic  provisic^ns  of  the  "  IMover."  I'Vom  these  he 
received  tliree  athlitional  men  and  a(kliti()ns  to 
liis  stores,  and  then  {jhini^cd  into  the  ire.  lie 
thus  devoutly  notes  this  fact  in  his  journal :  "  I 
consider  that  we  have  said  adieu  to  the  world  for 
the  next  two  years.  May  that  ami  which  has  con- 
du<  ted  us  so  far  in  safety  still  continue  in  jjrotec- 
tion  iijx)!!  a  service  where  all  else  is  Aveakness 
indeed  I  " 

While  fighting  the  ice  they  were  entertained  by 
htids  of  walruses,  some  of  which  weighed,  they 
thought,  thirty-five  hundretl  jiounds.  'I'he  moth- 
ers were  attended  by  their  babies.  The  sj^orts- 
men  immediatelv  seized  their  u;uns  to  send  the 
fatal  bullets  among  them.  Jlut  so  tender  did  the 
mothers  seem  toward  their  great  babes,  and  so 
playful  and  confiding  were  these  oflsi)ring,  that 
M'Clure  waved  his  hand  authoritatively,  saying: 
"  Don't  fire,  men!  it's  too  bad!"  and  none  were 
killed. 

The  next  incident  of  interest  was  the  meeting 
of  three  Ks(]uimo  by  a  boat's  crew  which  had 
tione  ashore.  Thev  were  verv  timid,  havinn  never 
seen  shii)s  or  white  men  Ijcfore.  Al'Clure  had 
taken  a  Moravian  by  the  name  of  Mierching  as  an 
interpreter,  who  had  been  many  years  a  mission- 
ary to  the  Es(}uimo  of  Labrador.  He  sui.ceeded 
in  allaying  their  fears,  and  when  the  parties  had 
rubbed  noses  good  feeling  was  established.  The 
captain  gave  them  letters  to  be  delivered  to  any 
white  men  they  might  meet,  containing  dispatches 


o  renew 
best'  he 
tions  to 
r.e.  He 
nal:  "1 
•oriel  for 
h;is  con- 
,  l)rotcc- 
/cakness 

iiinecl  by 
cd,  tliey 
le  niolh- 
j  sjjorts- 
send  the 
r  (lid  the 

and  so 
nL^,    I  hat  ■ 

saying : 
)nc  were 

meeting 
lich  had 
ng  never 
lire  had 
ing  as  an 
niission- 
icceeded 
rtics  had 
:i\.  The 
d  to  any 
ispatchcs 


77/1'  Xort/i-Wi'st  /\issiigt'  Discovircd.     2()9 

to  the  home  authorities.  Tiitse  letters  reached 
their  dcstinaticjn,  though  not  until  later  inforni;i- 
tion  from  the  e.\i)edili<jn  had  come  to  lianil  trom 
another  source. 

Later  they  had  Ks(|uimo  vihitors  in  great  num- 
bers, who  came  off  to  the  shijjs  in  their  kayaks. 
When  they  had  examined  the  ship  and  their  curi- 
osity was  somewhat  satisfied,  they  commenced  an 
animated  trade.  They  had  salmon  to  sell,  and  were 
especially  desirous  to  obtain  tobacco.  Seeing  the 
sailors  cut  this  article  up  before  trading,  a  new 
thought  seemed  to  be  suggested  to  the  natives, 
Avhich  run  in  this  wise  :  'i'hese  strangers  cut  up 
the  tobacco  to  get  much  for  a  small  piece.  Why 
not  cut  our  fish  up!  So  at  it  they  went,  cutting 
up  the  salmon  until  prevented  by  the  white  men. 

Stealing  was  an  easy  accom])lishmcnt  of  the 
Es([uimo  along  this  coast  as  wll  as  elsewhere. 
While  Captain  M'Clure  was  jiutting  a  present  into 
the  right  hand  of  a  chief  he  felt  his  left  robbing 
his  pocket.  On  being  exposed  the  chief  laughed, 
and  all  his  people  laughed,  esteeming  it  a  good 
joke  ;  and  so  much  did  they  seem  to  enjoy  it  th;)t 
the  white  men  laughed  too. 

The  farther  the  ex])lorers  sailed  east  the  more 
shy  and  hostile  the  natives  were.  This  was  owing, 
it  was  thought,  to  the  fights  constantly  going  on 
between  them  and  the  wandering  Indians  who 
visited  their  coast,  and  begat  in  them  a  bad  tem- 
per. But  Mr.  Mierching  always  succeeded  in 
bringing  them  to  the  nose  rubbing,  after  which 
matters   went   smoothly.     In   one   case   a  brawny 


I 


.,  \ 


'"  1 


i-:r 


m 


m»'^i' 


^aip 


M 


^,) 


I'M 


270 


Arctic  IIkkoes. 


:! 


f  .  f 


■  M 


<     i 


hi  s 


1 


!'     i      > 


chief  was  immensely  i)leased  with  some  gaudy 
gifts.  Connt'cting  his  good  luck  with  Mr.  Micr- 
chiii!''.  he  endeavored  to  bribe  him  to  make  his 
home  among  them.  To  succeed  in  this  he  brouglit 
forward  a  blooming  young  daughter,  and  offered 
her  in  marriage.  He  even  jjrondsed  to  throw  in, 
to  enlumce  the  bargain,  a  tent  and  *'  fixings."  He 
was  most  crestfallen  because  his  offer  was  refused. 

IJy  the  usual  sawing,  smashing,  dodging  in  and 
out  of  leads,  going  back  and  then  forward,  Caj)- 
tain  M'C'lure  found,  by  observations  taken  on  the 
ninth  of  September,  that  he  was  only  sixty  mile:, 
from  a  ])oint  in  iJarrow  Strait  to  which  several 
explorers  liad  sailed  from  Lancaster  Sound.  He 
writes;  "Can  it  be  ])ossible  that  this  water  com- 
municates with  barrow  Strait,  and  shall  jirove  the 
long-sought  north-west  passage!  Can  it  be  that 
so  humble  a  creature  as  I  am  will  l)e  penniited  to 
])erform  what  has  baffled  the  letUed  and  wise  for 
hundreds  of  years!  IJnt  all  j)raise  be  ascribed 
unto  Him  who  has  conducted  us  so  far  in  safety! 
ris  ways  are  not  our  wa\s,  nor  ;hc  means  he  uses 
within  our  comprehension.  T'le  wisdom  of  the 
world  is  foolishness  with  Him." 

They  were  now  in  Prince  of  Wales  Strait,  and, 
on  the  sixteenth,  were  within  thirty  miles  of  open 
sea.  through  whic  Ii  they  hoped  to  dash,  and  soon 
reacli  the  familiar  waters  of  Lancaster  Sound, 
Baffin  Hay.  the  Atlantic,  and  the  ]''.nglish  ("hr.nnel, 
where,  with  "  north-west  passage  accomphshed  " 
inscribed  on  their  tla;.',  \\tMltli  and  fame  awaited 
them  !      IMease  do,  your  Majesty  of  the  Ice   Seep- 


f 


:  gaudy 
r.  Micr- 

lake  his 
brought 

offered 
irow  in, 
s."  He 
refused. 

in  and 
"d,  Ca])- 
i  on  the 
tv  mile:, 

se\ eral 
id.  He 
jr  coni- 
•ove  tlie 
lie  that 
litted  to 
wise  for 
is(  ribed 

safety! 

he  uses 

of   the 

lit,  :nul, 
of  ojjen 
nd  soon 
Sound, 
'hr.nnel, 
.hshed  " 
awaited 
2  Seep- 


Tlie  XortJi-ivcst  Passage  Discovered.     27  1 

ter.  grant  us  the  small  favor  of  a  few  weeks  of  cdear 
sailing!  lUit  his  majesty  waved  his  scepter  in 
grim  defiance,  closed  the  leads,  chained  the 
"  Investigator  "  to  an  icy  raft,  and  set  her  back 
twenty-four  miles  in  three  Hays !  Here,  after 
harassing  anxiety,  many  nii)s,  frequent  threats  of 
sinking  and  crushing,  the  "Investigator"  was  fast 
\\-\  the  tloe  for  winter. 

On  the  twenty-sixth  of  October  M 'dure  made 
a  sledge  journey,  with  a  i)arty  of  his  men,  toward 
Melville  Island.  After  much  toil  and  the  usual 
perils  the  water  was  d  scovered,  from  the  top  of  a 
hill  six  hundred  feet  above  the  sea,  whic:h  washed 
its  shores.  He  had  seen  ihe  nonh-west  jjassage. 
From  a  point  of  land  u[)on  which  he  was  looking, 
Parry,  th.irty  years  before,  had  sailed  home  tnrough 
Ikifti'i  Bay. 

In  returning  M'Clure  came  near  i)erishing. 
Having  seen  some  bearings  ahead  from  which  he 
felt  confident  he  could  make  the  ship,  he  started 
off  ahead  of  his  men,  thinking  to  get  ready  for 
them  a  good  supper  on  their  arrival.  When  within 
six  miles  of  the  ship  night  shut  in,  at  the  same 
time  a  mist  obscured  every  thing,  which  was  fol- 
lowed liy  a  fierce  storm  of  blinding  snow.  He 
climbed  upon  a  hummock  of  ice  whose  elevated 
flat  top  would  give,  he  thought,  a  good  position  to 
see  the  lights  of  his  men  if  they  passed,  or  of  the 
ship,  if  the  mist  cleared  away.  .After  waiting  an 
hour  he  saw  the  glare  through  the  mist  of  a  blue 
light.  He  fired  to  attract  attention.  Waiting  a 
little  and  perceiving  no  signs  of  approaching  men. 


'!  ■■  I 


^«i!i 


yi: : 


^ 


r 


i 


'1 

in 


m 

r'     ' 

1 

i 

'  1 

2/2  Arctic  Hkroes, 

he   fired   his    only    remaining    charge   of    powder. 
He  listened,  hoi)ing  the  shij)  would  answer,  but  no 
cheering  res])()nse  broke  the  gloom.     Once  more 
the    blue   light   of  the   sledge  j)arty  dimly   flashed 
through   the  mist,  nf)w  at  a  grt^ater  distance,  and 
then    his   hope  from    them    vanished.     Two   more 
hours  passed  ;  he  then,  in  fumbling  in  his  ))Ocket 
found  a   single    lucifcr  match.     With   this  he  en- 
deavored  to   see  the   fice   ol"  his   pocket-compass, 
but    it  fizzed  out    and  left  him   in    total   darkness. 
It    was    half-jKist    eight    o'clock    and    there    were 
eleven  more  hours  ot    darkness;   the  cold  was    15° 
below   zero,   l)ears   were    jjrowling   about,   and   he 
was  without  a  charge  for  his  gun.      lie  hoped  that 
the  sledge  ])arty  would  reach  the  ship,  and,  finding 
he  had  not  come  in,  search  would  be   made  and 
help    arri\e.      lie    walkeel    to    and    ivo    up  )n    the 
hummock    until   he    t!H)ught   it  was   about    eleven 
o'clock,  and  tiien   that   hope  fled.      Slipping  down 
from  his  slab  ot'  ice  he  landed  under  its  lee  in  a  bed 
of  soft,  drv  snow.      I'eing  thoroughly  tired,  he  fell 
asleep  nnd  slept  soundlv.      it  was  a  sleej)  like  that 
into  which   man\'  under  such   (  ircumstances  ha\e 
fiUen,  to  be  followed  b\   the  sleep  (jf  death.      I'.ut 
MTlure   awoke    retVeshed,    nnd   opened    his    eyes 
upon  a  skv  glittering  wiih   stars   and   illuminated 
with    the  aurora  borealis.      He  could  see  no  shij), 
and  so  he  stumbled  about  among  the   hummocks 
for   several  more    hours.      When    the  daylight   ap- 


pe 


ared   he    had   the   mortification    to   see    that   ht 


W^ 


passed    near    the    ship    in    the    night,    and    walked 
awav  from  it  nearlv  four  miles. 


were 


sluj), 
nocks 


The  North-west  Passage  Discovered.     273 

Returnin£i,  he  reached  the  ''  Imesiicrator  "  wcarv 
and  hungry,  but  not  otherwise  the  worse  for  a 
night  in  tlie  snow  in  73  '  north  hititude.  The 
sledge  arrived  a  few  hours  hiter  all  right. 

While  M'Clure  was  absent,  his  men  left  with  the 
shi')  had  been  grandly  successful  in  hunting.  An 
attack  on  a  herd  of  musk-oxen  had  brought  down 
three  bulls,  a  cow,  and  a  calf.  These  gave  tweh  e 
hundred  and  ninety-six  pounds  of  solid  meat. 
'I'he  land  explorers  dcnvn  the  Mackei/.ie,  of  an 
earlier  date,  esteemed  musk-o\  an  offense  to  the 
stomach  as  well  as  the  nose.  l!ut  i)rol)al)ly  they 
were  not  so  hungry  for  fresh  meat  as  was  M'C'Jure's 
men. 

When  the  spring  of  1851  ranu\  wide  ranges  of 
Country,  both  sea  and  land,  were  >urvtjyed  by 
sledge-parties.  They  ga\e  o(<a>ion  fur  many  in- 
cidents of  great  peril  aiid  wonderful  deli\  eraiue, 
which  we  cannot  tlelail.  While  one  parly  were 
hunting  and  (  ampii  g  in  .1  tent,  a  hunter  relumed 
tired  and  chilled  to  within  a  rcjd  or  iwo  of  the 
tent  door.  Here  he  was  found,  eserv  muscle  riiiid 
as  he  lay  stretched  upon  ihe  snow,  his  mouth 
open,  and  his  eyes  set  in  his  head,  but  for  the 
providential  going  out  of  one  of  the  occupants  of 
the  tent,  he  would  have  been,  in  a  ^hort  time, 
dead.  Faithful  and  judii:ious  trealment  brought 
him  to  life.  He  said  that  though  he  remembers 
seeing  the  tent  door,  he  was  so  irresistibly  im- 
pelled to  sleej)  that  lie  lay  down  to  indulge  in  a 
nap. 

At    another    time   a   negro    having    wounded   a 


•  I, 

11* 


n^ 


Ml- 

1  ■» 

Mi 

( 

: 

i 
1 ' 

4 

1 

W 

t 

.  » 

t 


!^ 


U  I 


J 

i 

1 

1 

i 

• 

t 
1 

■' 

■  i 
1, 

1. 

i) 


-/4 


Akctic  Heroes. 


deer,  followed  i'.  to  a  great  distanc-:  In  returii- 
ing  he  fell  down  exhausted  and  sleepy.  No  en- 
treaties nor  shakings  of  Sergeant  Woon,  who  ac- 
tomi)anied  him,  could  excite  the  least  ambition  to 
get  u]j  and  walk.  Thfuigh  the  negro  was  a  large, 
heavy  man,  Woon  strajjped  his  gun,  with  which 
he  dare  n(jt  i)art,  to  his  back,  took  his  arms  over 
his  shoulder  and  heroically  started  for  the  ships, 
many  miles  distance.  At  times  he  obtained  relief 
by  sliding  his  load  ahead  down  the  hummocks. 
He  dare  not  leave  him  a  moment  as  wolves  were 
prowling  around.  When  within  a  mile  of  the  ship 
he  became  utterly  exhausted,  and  unable  to  carry 
him  another  stej).  Laying  down  the  poor  fellow, 
he  hastened  to  the  vessel  and  obtained  hel[).  The 
man  was  safely  borne  to  the  care  of  the  surgeon, 
under  whose  treatment  he  was  in  a  few  days  all 
right. 

This  Sergeant  Woon  of  the  marines  was  a  brave, 
self-possessed  hunter.  Heing  out  on  one  occasion 
pursuing  a  wounded  deer,  he  was  suddenly  con 
fronted  by  two  musk-bulls.  Like  all  kine  of  thci'* 
sex  they  were  fuU  of  fight,  but  would  have  been 
content  perha[)s  to  be  let  alone.  Ihit  Woon, 
though  he  had  but  om.-  bullet,  put  it  into  one  of 
thein.  Wounded  antl  maddened,  he  turned  upon 
liis  assailant.  .As  he  ai)proached  he  received  the 
"  worm  "  from  the  sergeant's  gun.  This  caused  a 
pause,  whicli  he  improved  by  reloading  and  using 
the  iron  ramrod  for  a  missile.  The  l;uii  by  this  time 
was  within  a  few  feet  of  his  foe,  with  his  nose  to 
the  ground,  out  of  whicl;  poured  a  stream  of  blood, 


,f 


TJic  Xurth-wcst  Passage  Discovered.     2/S 

to  return  in  /lis  way  the  sergeant's  complimentary 
salutations.  But  the  ramrod  was  too  quick  and  too 
much  for  him.  It  entered  behind  his  left  shoulder, 
passed  through  his  heart,  and  came  out  at  the  right 
Hank. 

The  sergeant  returned  to  the  ship  and  reported 
venison  and  beef  in  temporary  sto.age  upon  the 
ice  for  the  ship's  use. 

ft  was  late  in  the  summer  of  185 1  before  the 
"  Investigator's "  ice-fetters  were  loosened,  and 
then,  instead  of  sailing  north,  she  was  treated  to 
an  ice-bound  drift  twenty-five  miles  south.  (liv- 
ing u]>  the  hope  of  getting  to  Melville  Island 
through  the  channel  in  which  ihey  had  wintered, 
M'Clure  sailed  south,  around  IJank  Land,  u[) 
its  western  side,  and,  by  hard  fighting  and  nipi)ing, 
sailed  round  its  northern  extremity  into  Melville 
Strait,  thus  actually  reaching  tht  water  which 
made  the  navigable  highway  home  by  the  eastern 
route.  The  oi)en  water  of  this  highway  was  within 
the  range  of  a  moderate  sledge-journey.  Of  all 
arctic  tantalizing  that  whicli  this  expedition  now 
suffered  seemed  to  be  the  most  exciuisitc.  The 
prize  was  lying  at  their  feet — a  prize  sought 
for  more  than  tvvo  hundred  years  but  not  found — 
while  their  hands  were  ])inioned  behind  them  ! 

M'Clure,  seeing  his  vessel  immovably  frozen  in, 
prepared  for  winter,  and,  thankful  to  be  alive, 
call'^d  the  bay  in  which  they  were  detained  the 
Biy  of  Mercy. 

The  expetlition  was  put  upon  short  rjtiuns,  in 
view  of  ?.  probable  stay  in  the   ice  a  third  winter. 


1I«~. 


v.»««.V^ 


¥ 


M 


I 


276 


Arctic  Heroes. 


'•11    < 


,  t 


f>1 


I  ■' 


I 


m 


Hut  game  abounded,  musk-ox,  deer,  foxes,  and 
wolves  I'-jing  plenty.  The  wolves  in  the  lf)ng 
dark  nights,  impelled  by  hunger,  came  around  the 
ship  and  made  the  hideous  night  more  hitleous 
bv  their  howlings.  Ravens  audaciously  made  the 
fan;ily  of  the  strangers  their  home.  They  croaked 
in  the  rigging,  and  came  under  the  covering  of 
the  ui)per  deck.  One  shrewd  fellow  tricked  a 
dog  out  of  his  meal.  He  lighted  on  deck  Ijehind 
him,  and,  of  course,  canine  left  his  bone  to  drive 
him  away.  Raven  hop|)ed  back  a  few  yards  at  a 
time  and  thus  enticed  the  dog  some  distance  away, 
when  he  flew  back,  and  gobbled  down  his  dinner 
before  he  could  return.  This  became  a  staple 
trick  of  the  ravens  until  the  dogs  began  to  "  see 
through  it." 

So  bold  did  the  wolves  become  that  the  men 
told  the  story  of  the  s])ortsmen  i)ulling  at  one  end 
of  the  slain  deer  and  the  wolves  at  the  other  I 

In  Ai)ril,  1S52,  M'Clure  made  a  sledge-journey 
to  Winter  Harbor,  on  Melville  Island,  the  winter- 
([uarters  of  Parry  in  his  famous  voyage  when  this 
region  was  first  made  known  to  the  world. 
M'Clure  here  found  a  cairn,  under  which  Jaeuten- 
ant  M'C'lintock  had  de])osited  a  notice  of  his  visit 
the  ))revious  summer  when  on  a  sledge-journey 
from  Austin's  steam  squadron,  which  mc  ha\e 
noticed.  M'Clure  left  under  the  same  c  ;iirn  an 
account  of  his  visit  and  present  whereabouts. 

On  returning  to  the  shi[)  they  were  glad  to 
learn  that  large  additions  had  been  made  by  the 
hunter*    to    their    slm  k    of    provi^,ions,      lUit    the 


f 


Tiic  Sorth-i^'cst  Passa[::c  Discovered. 


■t  —  -t 

-/  / 


f! 


spring  and  summer  brought  no  relaxing  of  the 
grip  of  the  Ice  K.'ng.  A  third  winter  in  the  15. ly 
of  Mercy  became  a  sure  experience,  an<l  the  final 
abandonment  of  the  "  Investigator"  (piite  |)rol)a- 
ble.  L'nder  these  circumstances  M'Clure  assem- 
bled his  men  and  made  known  his  jjlans.  'I'hey 
were  these  :  Two  parties  were  to  go  home  in  the 
spring;  one  by  the  way  of  the  Mackenzie  Ri\er, 
another  by  the  way  of  lieechey  Island,  where,  as 
the  record  left  by  MX'lintock  on  Mel\  ille  Island 
assured  them,  jirovisions  and  a  boat  to  take  them 
to  the  Danish  settlements  of  (Ireenland  would  be 
found.  As  for  M'Clure  himself  he  proposed  to 
stay  by  the  ship,  with  thirty  of  the  strongest  men, 
and  remain  a  fourth  winter.  He  would  then  re- 
treat on  Lancaster  Sound  if  help  did  not  come 
sooner.     All  cheerfuUy  agreed  to  these  proposals. 

Spring  came,  and  the  preparations  to  carry  for- 
ward this  scheme  of  escaj)e  were  matured,  and  the 
two  parties  were  about  to  start. 

How  fearfully  ])eril(nis  the  route  would  jirove  to 
the  mouth  of  the  Mackenzie,  up  its  portages, 
through  its  deep  snow,  around  its  iuijienetrable 
swamps,  and  over  its  many^  manv  miles,  before 
reacldng  the  nearest  station  of  tlu  Hudson  Dav 
Company,  the  reader,  recollecting  Jolm  I'"ranklin's 
and  lliK  li'n  journeys,  well  understands  The  jcirty 
going  cast  would  fa(~e  the  cnciiiic-s  I  )e  lf:i\cn  had 
just  encountered.  M'( 'lure's  fourth  winter  and 
final  esca|ie  invoUed  gri.-at  risk  and  suflering. 
The  three  parlies  would  be  poorly  equipped  and 
provisioned 


i 


II    'I 


m 


.1 


il)!. 


I 


li 


w 


u 


i  , 


I       I 


2  78 


Arctic  Hi:kol:s. 


The  commencement  of  this  movement  was  de- 
layed on  account  of  the  death  of  a  seaman,  the 
first  which  liad  occurred  in  the  expedition.  On 
the  day  before  his  burial  the  captain  and  the  first 
lieutenant  were  walking  a  short  distance  from  the 
shij),  pensively  talking  of  the  state  of  affairs  and 
seeking  an  icy  grave  for  their  shijjmate.  What 
happened  to  them,  and  how  all  these  plans  were 
suddenly  confounded  as  by  an  invisible  hand,  we 
must  turn  aside  to  explain. 


li  rM 

i 


It    I 


was  de- 
lan,  the 
n.  On 
the  first 
rom  the 
lirs  and 
What 
ns  were 
:ind,  we 


T//C  Deserted  Ships. 


279 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

T  HE      D  E  S  E  R  T  EI)      SHIPS. 

IX  the  spring  of  1852  England  sent  out  the 
hirgcst  exploring  fleet  that  had  yet  sailed. 
The  names  of  the  vessels  will  sound  familiar  to 
the  reader.  They  were  the  "  Assistance  "  and 
"  Resolute,"  with  their  steamers,  the  "  Pioneer  " 
and  "Intrepid,"  and  the  "North  Star."  'J'he 
whole  were  under  the  command  of  Captain  Edward 
Belcher.  Caj)tain  Kellett  had  command  of  the 
"  Resolute."  The  expedition  sailed  in  April.  \\\ 
July  it  was  pushing  through  the  ice  of  Ikiflin 
l^ay  with  a  fleet  of  whalers.  There  was  a  lane  of 
water  into  which  the  whalers  and  exploring  fleet 
dropped,  forming  a  long  line,  the  American  whaler, 
"  APLellan,"  leading.  The  weather  was  fine,  and 
all  seemed  going  well.  On  the  morning  of  the 
seventh  word  was  passed  from  vessel  to  vessel 
that  the  "  M'Lellan  "  had  been  caught  in  a  nij) 
and  was  sinking,  her  crew  having  already  aban- 
doned her.  Hearing  this,  the  sailors  of  the  ex- 
ploring fleet  poured  into  her  to  take  the  sinking 
spoils.  But  Captain  Belcher  stopped  that  play, 
sent  competent  hands  with  powder,  who  blew  up 
the  ice  which  was  crushing  her,  and  set  her  free. 
But  the  next  day  .?he  was  nipped  again,  and  this 
time  the  water  poured  into  and  soon  sunk  her  to 


!  1 


\uJiH 


F 


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;:  ^if- 


t 


I 

i 

f 

';i 


•  i  f 


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1 

(, 

-  .  1 

1     , 
t 

J 

li 

280 


Arctic   IIkkoks. 


the  water's  edge,     liclchcr  sent  his  men  to  save  all 

that  was  possiljlc  out  of  her,  and  she  was  then 
bhiwn  up  to  get  her  (Mit  of  tlie  way  of  tlie  other 
ships. 

In  August  the  scjuadron  reacluMJ  its  lu-ad- 
quarters  at  Heec  hey  Island.  'I'he  waters  in  every 
direction  were  remarkably  free  from  ice.  Claptain 
IJelcher  with  the  *'  Assistance,"  towed  bv  the 
"  Pioneer,"  stocxl  up  Wellington  Channel.  Captain 
Kellett  in  the  "  Resolute,"  at  the  heels  of  the  "  In- 
trej)id,"  j)ushed  forward  in  an  ojjcn  sea  toward 
Melville  Island.  The  "  North  Star  "  remained  at 
Beechey  Island  as  a  stationary  store-ship  to  which 
escaping  boat  parties  might  flee. 

We  will  follow  Kellett's  fortunes. 

There  was  on  board  the  "  investigator,"  which 
we  have  just  left  under  M'Clure  at  Mercy  IJay,  a 
young  man  by  the  name  of  Creswell.  Mis  father's 
anxiety  for  his  safety  led  him  to  wait  u\H)n  the  au- 
thorities in  England  just  as  Relcher  was  sailing 
and  tender  his  advice.  He  told  them  that  if  the 
"  Investigator"  was  beset  in  the  ice  west  of  Mel- 
ville Island,  as  he  thought  she  would  be,  then 
M'Clure  would  be  sure  to  reat  li  .\felville  Island 
by  sledges  and  leave  notice  of  his  whereabouts. 
This  Mas  deemed  good  counsel,  and  now  Kellett 
•was  following  it  under  a  full  liead  of  steam.  We 
should  ha\e  said  that  our  old  accjuainlance,  Lit'U- 
tenant,  now  Captain  M 'Ciintock,  commanded  the 
propeller  "  Intrepid,"  who.  it  will  be  reineinbered, 
had  been  at  Melville  island  with  a  sledge  j^arty 
the  previous  year,  and  examined  I'arry's  records 


"1 


The  Deserted  Ships 


281 


()f'  tliirly  years  before,  a.id  left  additional  ones  of 
his  own. 

This  energetic  e\i)l()rer  soon,  with  the  '*  Reso- 
lute "  by  the  nose,  after  much  thumping  of  the 
ice,  put  both  vessels  into  the  vicinity  of  Melville 
Island,  and  they  went  into  winter-(iuarters  at 
Dealy  Island,  on  its  south-eastern  shore. 

Now  came  the  sledge-jjarty  excursions  in  every 
direction.  A  fine  resolute  young  offKH-r  by  the 
name  of  Mecham  commanded  that  which  was  to 
tra(  e  the  south  line  of  Melville  Island.  He  had 
two  sledges,  named  (he  T)i!jcovery  and  tlie  l''ear- 
less,  a  deposit  of  provisions  which  he  was  to  carry 
t"orward  for  spring  use  and  enough  for  twenty-five 
days'  present  use.  Each  sledge  bore  a  little  llag, 
given  by  home  young  ladies,  with  a  sword  arm  on 
a  white  ground,  and  the  motto,  in  Latin,  "Over 
sea,  land,  and  i(  e."  Over  fro/en  land,  and  through 
.^uich  ice  and  snow,  the  party  sped.  On  their  re- 
turn, about  the  middle  of  ( )(  lober.  Mecham  turned 
aside  to  Parry's  "  Sandstone,"  and  the  cairn  under 
which  ['arry  and  M'C'lintock  had  already  left  rec- 
ords, and  to  which  he  was  commanded  to  add  one 
of  his  own.  On  opening  it,  and  unrolling  the 
parchments,  he  found  M'( 'lure's  deposit  of  April, 
1852,  about  six  months  before!  It  contained 
M'Clure's  voyaging  and  the  discovery  of  the  north- 
west passage,  and  his  present  position  at  Mercy 
Bay.  It  was  tlie  first  news  from  his  shij)  h)r  two 
years,  and  ^''  h  was  the  anxiety  felt  concerning 
him,    that    t  vo   vi.'ssels    had   been   sent  by  way  of 

Ilering   Str.ii     10  search   for  the    searcher.     Here 
IS 


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23  WEST  MAIN  STREET 

WEBSTER,  N.(.  14S80 

( :  !  »  I  87'i-4503 


!•< 


282 


Arctic  Heroes. 


'i 


-,  ,*      : . 


M 


m  i 


i 

was  news  of  him  not  six  months  old  I  Here  was 
news,  too,  of  his  great  discovery  not  yet  known  to 
the  world  !  Alecham  built  a  new  cairn,  put  into  it 
his  own  record,  and  hurried  off  with  his  great  news. 

Captain  Kellett  was,  of  course,  intensely  de- 
sirous to  send  a  party  forward  immediately  to 
search  for  the  ''Investigator."  But  Mercy  Bay 
was  .^  hundred  and  seventy  miles  off,  and  the  ice 
would  be  too  weak  for  sL'dging,  and  too  strong 
for  boating  until  the  darkness  would  prevent 
either.  So  they  spent  the  winter  as  best  they 
could.  In  March,  while  yet  the  peril  of  sledging 
was  great,  a  party  started,  consisting  of  eleven 
men,  under  the  command  of  Lieutenant  Pim, 
This  officer  was  in  the  *'  Herald,"  under  Kellett, 
when  she  met  M'Clure  in  the  ice  at  Bering  Strait, 
So  he  had  been  one  of  the  last  men  who  had  said 
"  good-bye  "  to  the  officers  of  the  "  Investigator." 

He  had  now  started  with  two  sledges,  the  larger 
with  seven  men  under  his  immediate  command, 
and  the  smaller  with  two  men  under  Dr.  Domville. 

Very  slowly,  and  with  great  peril  and  toil,  they 
made  one  hundred  miles  from  the  ship.  Then 
the  larger  sledge,  in  slipping  from  a  hummock, 
broke  down.  Here  was  a  desperate  state  of  the 
expedition  !  Domville  advised  a  return  with  the 
smaller  sledge.  But  Pim,  after  due  deliberation, 
decided  to  take  the  dog-sledge  and  the  two  men, 
and  push  on,  while  Domville  went  into  camp  on 
the  nearest  land  and  waired  his  return,  repairing 
in  the  mean  time,  if  possible,  the  sledge. 

On  sped  Pim  with  his  dogs,  which  he  fed  with 


The  Deserted  Ships. 


283 


preserved  meat.  One  whole  day  he  was  sick  and 
confined  to  the  tent.  They  met  with  no  game,  yet 
onward  they  went.  Weary  days  passed,  and  at 
last  the  Bay  of  Mercy  was  gained,'but  no  "  In- 
vestigator "  could  be  seen.  Straight  across  the 
bay  went  Pirn,  hoping  to  find  a  cairn  and  records. 
At  two  o'clock  the  men  saw  something  black  in  the 
distance.  Pim  took  his  glass  and  looked.  "  Men, 
it's  a  ship  !  "he  exclaimed,  and  all  rushed  forward. 
Pim  soon  got  ahead,  and  saw  two  men  walking  slow- 
ly toward  him.  Pim  ran  and  shouted  and  threw  up 
his  arms;  as  the  wind  and  excitement  prevented 
his  words  being  heard,  he  was  at  first  taken  by  the 
two  men  for  one  of  their  own  party  fleeing  from  a 
bear.  As  he  came  nearer,  and  they  saw  his  face, 
black  with  the  lamp  smoke  of  his  tent,  and  his 
violent  gesticulation,  they  took  him  for  an  Esqui- 
mo,  or  a  visitor  from  another  world.  Soon  they 
heard.  "I'm  Lieutenant  Pim,  late  of  the  'Her- 
ald,' now  in  the  '  Resolute.'  Captain  Kellett  is 
in  her  at  Dealy  Island." 

Pim  was  instantly  in  the  presence  of  M'Clure 
and  his  lieutenant.  Their  hearts  were  too  full  for 
words,  and  the  hardy  navigators  melted  to  tears. 
M'Clure  says:  ''The  announcement  of  relief  be- 
ing close  at  hand  when  none  was  supposed  to  be 
within  the  arctic  circle  was  too  sudden,  unex- 
pected, and  joyous  for  our  minds  to  comprehend  it 
at  once.  The  news  flew  with  lightning  rapidity  ; 
the  ship  was  all  in  commotion  ;  the  sick,  forgetful 
of  their  maladies,  leaped  from  their  hammocks  ; 
the  artificers  dropped   their  tools,  and   the  lower 


284 


Arctic  Heroes. 


.t-fj 


'  I 


m 


deck  was  cleared  of  men,  for  they  all  rushed  for 
the  hatchway,  to  be  assured  that  a  stranger  was 
actually  among  them,  and  that  his  tale  was  true. 
Despondency  fled  the  ship,  and  Lieutenant  Pirn 
received  a  welcome,  i)ure,  hearty,  and  grateful, 
that  he  surely  will  remember  and  cherish  to  the 
end  of  his  days." 

Pim  and  his  men,  accompanied  by  M'Clure,  re- 
turned in  a  few  days.  They  found  Dr.  Domville  and 
his  party  in  good  condition,  having  mended  the 
sledge  and  killed  five  musk-oxen.  All  arrived 
safely  at  the  harbor  of  the  "  Resolute  "  and  "  In- 
trepid." 

For  about  two  months  communication  was  kept 
up  between  Dealy  Island  and  Mercy  Bay,  and 
much  consultation  of  the  officers  was  held  as  to 
the  course  M'Clure  should  take.  Captain  Kellett 
at  first  favored  M'Clure's  ])lan  of  staying  by  the 
ship  with  a  crew  of  the  most  hardy  men.  But  a 
council  of  the  surgeons  pronounced  the  sanitary 
condition  of  the  men  as  low  and  tending  down- 
ward. Three  arctic  winters  had  made  the  robust 
puny.  Only  four  among  the  healthy  seamen 
came  forward  when  asked  to  volunteer  to  stay, 
though  the  officers  all  voted  to  stand  by  the  ship. 
In  view  of  all  these  circumstances,  it  was  decided 
to  abandon  the  brave  old  "  Investigator."  Her 
boats,  provisions,  and  equipments  generally,  were 
landed,  and  a  well-guarded  deposit  was  made  of 
them  for  the  use  of  Collinson,  of  the  "  Enter- 
prise," who  was  supposed  to  be  pushing  for  these 
waters;  or  for  Franklin  himself,  should  he  or  any 


»t 


TJic  Deserted  SJiips. 


285 


hed  for 
^er  was 
as  true, 
nt  Pirn 
;rateful, 
I  to  the 

are,  rc- 
ille  and 
ied  the 
arrived 
id  "  In- 

as  kept 
ly,  and 
d  as  to 
Kellett 

by  the 
But  a 
sanitary 
;  down- 
;  robust 
seamen 
;o  stay, 
le  ship, 
iecided 
"  Her 
y,  were 
lade  of 
'  Enter- 
)r  these 

or  any 


of  his  expedition  be  alive  and  drifting  toward 
Mercy  P.ay.  On  the  third  of  June,  1853,  the 
colors  wefe  thrown  to  the  breeze,  and  officers  and 
crew  bade  farewell  to  tlie  "  Investigator." 

It  seemed  an  ignominious  ending  of  her  noble 
career  to  be  left  alone  in  the  darkness,  cold,  and 
dreariness  of  this  arctic  region,  to  hear  no  sounds 
of  life  except  those  of  the  croaking  raven,  the 
howling  wolf,  -^.nd  the  barking  fox.  But  we  i)re- 
sume  her  retiiing  men,  glad  to  save  their  own 
lives  by  a  wonderful  deliverance,  indulged  in  no 
sickly  sentiment  over  the  vessel. 

In  a  few  weeks  the  sixty  men  of  the  "  Investi- 
gator "  were  comfortably  settled  on  board  the 
"Resolute"  and  "Intrepid,"  in  the  midst  of 
abundance  and  good  companionship.  Lieutenant 
Creswell,  whose  father  had  prompted  the  plan 
which  had  saved  the  expedition  in  which  he  sailed, 
was  sent  to  Beechey  Island  with  disj^atches  for  the 
home  authorities.  When  he  arrived  at  the  island 
the  "  Phoenix  "  had  just  arrived  with  supplies  for 
Belcher,  having  left  home  in  the  spring.  \w  her 
he  sailed  to  England,  where  he  arrived  in  Octo- 
ber, and  was  cordially  greeted.  H  :  hkd  not  only 
seen  the  north-west  passage  but  had  gone  through  it. 

Kellett,  having  by  sledge  parties  s.  arched  in 
vain,  far  and  near,  fc  traces  of  Franklin,  made 
arrangements  to  take  his  ships  to  Beechey  Island. 
It  was  now  inidsummer,  and  the  ice  miglit  break 
up  at  any  time.  Me  built  a  storehouse  on  the 
island,  and  having  filled  it  with  provisions  left  in 
it  this  record  : — 


i! 
I  4 


i  ■ 


n 

11 


1 


i 


286 


Arctic  Heroes. 


"  This  is  a  house  wliich  I  have  named  the  Sail- 
or's Home,  under  the  es])e(Mal  jjatronage  of  my 
Lords  Commissioners  of  the  A(hiiiralty.  //err 
royal  sailors  and  mariners  are  fed,  clothed,  and 
receive  double  pay  for  inhabiting  it." 

The  ice  did  not  let  the  vessels  go  until  the  mid- 
dle of  August.  They  sailed  twenty-four  hours 
and  then  it  held  them  fast  again.  The  days  of 
summer  wore  a,way  and  winter  api)roached,  and 
still  no  oi)en  sea,  nor  even  leads  through  which 
they  might  bore,  appeared.  Game  was  plenty, 
musk-oxen  especially  ;  of  this  highly  fragrant  beef 
they  obtained  and  froze  ten  thousand  pounds. 
In  September  a  gale  i^iled  the  ice-pack  about 
them,  made  an  island  of  their  ice  encasement,  and 
set  them  drifting  whither  thev  would  not.  Hav- 
ing  toyed  with  them  two  whole  months,  they  were 
let  alone  for  the  winter  in  a  good  position  due 
east  from  Winter  Harbor,  and  in  longitude  ioi° 
west.  Here,  in  tolerable  comfort,  the  spring  of 
1854  found  them,  one  only  having  died. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  spring  M'Clure  went 
with  his  men,  on  sledges,  to  Beechey  Island  and 
took  possession  of  the  store-ship.  Soon  after  an 
order  came  from  Belcher  commanding  Kellett  to 
abandon  his  ships  and  come  to  Beechey  Island. 
Kellett  remonstrated,  saying  that  his  position  was 
a  good  one  for  an  early  escape ;  that  he  had  a 
plenty  of  supj^lies;  that  the  exp(idition  was  in 
good  health,  and  that  parties  concerned  in  desert- 
ing ships  under  such  circumstances  "would  de- 
serve to  have  the  jackets  taken  off  their  backs." 


The  Deserted  Ships. 


287 


Belcher  seems  to  have  considered  tliis  stroncr  talk 
for  a  subordinate,  and  he  sent  a  i)erenii)t()ry  order 
to  abandon  the  ships.  Two  of  Kellett's  sledge 
parties  were  out  on  distant  surveys.  Leaving 
orders  for  their  guidance,  he  prepared  his  vessels 
for  abandonment.  The  engines  of  tlie  "  Intrepid  " 
were  so  left  that  the  ship  could  be  got  under 
steam  in  two  hours.  Both  vessels  were  well  pro- 
visioned, and  made  ready,  in  every  respect,  for 
occupation.  He  then  calked  down  the  hatches, 
all  hands  took  their  last  look  of  the  "  Resolute" 
and  "  Intrepid,"  and  started  on  their  sledge  jour- 
ney. They  arrived  at  Beechey  Island  safely, 
utterly  surprising  M'Clure  and  his  men. 

During  all  of  the  time  in  which  we  have  been 
following  the  expedition  of  Kellett,  Captain  Belcher 
was  surveying  Wellington  Channel  and  its  adjacent 
waters.  He  had  wintered  in  the  ice,  and  extended 
his  search,  fall  and  spring,  by  sledge  parties.  In 
August  of  this  year,  1854,  his  ships,  the  "Assist- 
ance "  and  "  Pioneer,"  were  liberated.  He  imme- 
diately pushed  for  Beechey  Island,  Waters  about 
this  island  were  at  the  same  time  navigable,  and 
the  leads  extended  fifteen  miles  up  the  channel. 
There  was  a  belt  of  ice  only  twenty  miles  wide 
between  his  ships  and  this  open  highway  home- 
ward, and  this  belt  was  much  cracked.  Yet  Cap- 
tain Belcher  was  intent  on  hurrying  home,  with 
seeming  impatience  of  all  arctic  restraints.  He 
abandoned  his  ships  on  the  twenty-sixth  of  Au- 
gust, and  all  hands  made  their  way  to  Beechey 
Island.     The  sledge  parties   came   in,  one   after 


! 


I  :  . 


i 


■• 


li^ 


288 


Arctic  Heroes. 


another.  The  spirited  Mecham  had  extended  his 
survey  across  the  track  of  the  "  Enterprise,"  com- 
manded by  Captain  Collin  son,  the  consort,  it  will 
Ije  recollected,  of  the  "  Investigator."  He  was, 
in  1852,  net  far  in  the  rear  of  M'Clure. 

The  sledges  being  all  in,  the  officers  and  crews 
of  the  five  ships,  the  "  Investigator,"  "  Resolute," 
"Intrepid,"  "Assistance,"  and  "Pioneer,"  were 
put  on  board  the  "  North  Star,"  and  the  sails  were 
spread  for  home.  Just  then  the  "  IMioenix,"  re- 
turned from  her  home  trij)  with  Lieutenant  Cres- 
well,  accompanied  by  the  "  Talbot,"  both  under 
Captain  Inglefield,  hove  in  sight,  rounding  Cape 
Riley.  The  men  were  then  distributed  in  the 
three  ships.  On  the  twenty-eighth  of  September 
they  landed  safely  in  England. 

A  breeze,  of  course,  was  raised  by  Belcher's 
extraordinary  feat  of  leaving  four  of  his  five  ships 
behind  him.  He  was  court-martialed,  acquitted, 
and  knighted.  M'Clure  received  the  knighting 
without  the  court-martialing,  and  upon  him  and 
his  officers  and  men  were  bestowed  the  fifty  thou- 
sand dollars  offered  by  the  Government  for  the 
discovery  of  the  north-west  passage.  M'Clure's 
superior  officer,  Collinson,  brought  his  ship,  the 
"  Enterprise,"  back  through  the  waters  he  had 
entered.  Nothing  had  been  added  to  the  hints 
which  had  been  found  by  Austin  at  Beechey  Isl- 
and, in  the  early  searching,  to  the  knowledge  of 
Franklin's  fate.  The  well-guarded  dominions  of 
ice  and  cold  still  held  their  sad  secret. 

Some  of  our  readers  will  recollect  the  remarka- 


TJic  Deserted  SJiips, 


289 


Ige  of 


ble  later  history  of  the  veteran  '*  Resolute,"  one 
of  these  al^andonecl  shii)s.  \Ve  can  but  glance  at 
it.  In  1855  Captain  lUiddington,  of  New  Lon- 
don, Conn.,  in  the  whale-shij)  ''(ieorge  Henry," 
found  the  "  Resolute,"  imbedded  in  an  ice-raft, 
drifting  through  Baftin  Uay.  vShe  had  already 
made  twelve  hundred  miles  of  her  homeward  trij). 
There  was  some  ice  in  her  hold;  mold  and  damp 
had  damaged  some  things,  but  otherwise  she  was 
essentially  as  Kellett  had  left  her.  (lood  fires  in 
her  stoves  removed  the  dampness  and  melted  the 
ice,  and  her  fine  force-j)umi)s  removed  the  water. 
Her  rigging  was  repaired,  and  some  new  sails  set. 
In  a  few  days  she  freec  herself  from  the  ice,  and 
Captain  Ikiddington,  with  ten  i)icked  men  from  the 
"George  Henry,"  arrived  safely  with  her  in  New 
London  the  twenty-fourth  of  December  after  a 
rough  passage  of  over  two  months.  The  En- 
glish authorities  relinquished  all  claims  upon  her. 
Congress  then  purchased  her  of  the  owners  of 
the  "George  Henry,"  and  she  was  i)ut  into  the 
naval  dock  at  Brooklyn  and  thoroughly  repaired. 
Every  article  left  in  her  by  Kellett  was  restored. 
She  was  then  manned  by  a  naval  crew  and  put  in 
command  of  Captain  Hartstein,  and,  ''  with  sails 
all  set  and  streamers  all  afloat,"  she  bore  away  for 
her  English  home.  When  she  reached  British 
waters  she  was  honored  as  a  veteran  covered  with 
scars  returning  from  many  victorious  battle-fields. 
The  highest  naval  officers  hastened  on  board  of 
her.  The  queen  herself  paid  her  a  visit.  Com- 
plimentary ensigns  fluttered  from  every  flag-staff. 


i,H 


I 


Ml 


/) 


» » 


« ' 


t 

4 


'i 


290 


Arctic  Hkkoes. 


Cannon  thundered  their  noisy  welcome  in  every 
direction.  Tlie  i)ulse  c*"  the  whole  nation  beat 
with  joy.  The  (jueen  sent  a  distinguished  artist 
to  put  the  "  reception  "  on  canvas  for  the  royal 
gallery. 

The  American  officers  who  brought  her  home 
were  made  the  nation's  guest,  with  such  hospitality 
as  few  if  any  strangers  ever  received.  The  sea- 
men under  them  had  substantial  remembrance 
from  the  queen's  private  purse.  Old  England 
and  the  younger  England  of  America  met  for 
once  with  hearty  congratulations. 

The  "  Resolute  '"  herself  retired  on  her  laurels, 
it  is  j)resumed,  henceforth,  if  not  knighted  and 
pensioned,  yet  exempt  from  further  labor  and 
peril. 


m- 


I 


^^1 

f 

I 

i 

\ 

,1 

.1 

i 

i 

1 

^■i 

^  ■ 

■J 

i 

■ 
■ 

Sir  JoJin  Franklin 's  Fate. 


291 


in  every 
ion  beat 
ed  artist 
he  royal 

er  home 
)spitaUty 
rhe  sea- 
mbrance 
England 
met    for 

"  laurels, 
itcd  and 
bor   and 


CHAPTER    XXV. 

THE    FATE    OF    SIR  JOHN    FRANKLIN. 

SHORTLY  after  the  return  of  T.eh  her  and 
M'Clure  a  new  sensation  was  given  to  the 
interest  attending  the  fate  of  Sir  John  Franklin. 

Dr.  Rae,  a  veteran  exi)lorer  in  the  employment 
oft  he  Hudson  Bay  Company,  ]jublished  a  letter  in 
the  Montreal  "  Herald  "  of  October  21,  1854,  di- 
rected to  the  governor  of  that  company.  Its  sub- 
stance was  as  follows  : — 

In  the  spring  of  1853  the  doctor  started  down  the 
Back,  or  Great  Fish  River  On  reaching  its  mouth 
he  went  east  and  north,  being  directed  to  extend 
the  survey  of  the  western  shore  of  Boothia,  a  region 
toward  which  we  have  sailed  with  Parry  when  on 
his  second  voyage.  Flere  he  met  with  Esquimo 
who  seemed  intelligent  above  the  average  of  their 
countrymen.  In  the  possession  of  these  natives 
were  various  articles  at  once  recognized  as  be- 
longing to  the  lost  ex]jlorers  !  Here  there  was  a 
clew  to  the  secret  which  had  caused  many  hearts 
to  ache,  to  reveal  which  two  great  nations  had 
long  been  devoting  large  treasures,  and  the  serv- 
ices of  their  best  men.  Rae,  of  course,  bent  all 
his  energies  to  the  following  up  of  the  clew  thus 
given.  Falling  in  with  Esquimo  hunters  from 
time   to  time,  he  ascertained'    that  nearly  all  of 


'A 


hi 

I  i 

II  I 


ii 


( » 


t 


I 
1 


' ) 


■  ( 


^11 


■U 


I  j.i^i 


rft. 


Ii  m 


292 


Arctic  IIi-.koes. 


tlu'in  had  heard  of  tlic  party  of  white  men  from 
whom  these  articles  had  been  obtained.  The 
amount  of  the  information  obtaineil  by  comi)aring 
these  statements  was  in  substance  this: — 

In  the  spring,  four  winters  ago,  (i(S5o,)  several 
I'lscpiihio  families  were  hunting  seal  on  the  north 
shore  of  a  large  island.  The  ishind  was  many 
days'  journ-.'y  to  the  west  and  beyond  a  great  river. 
])r.  Rae  at  once  underst(M){l  tliis  to  be  what  was 
known  as  King  William's  Land.  While  these  Es- 
quimo  were  thus  em])loyed  ihey  saw  forty  white 
men  traveling  to  the  south  over  the  ice,  along  the 
west  sh()r(,'  of  t'  island.  'I'hey  v.ere  dragging  a 
boat  and  sledges.  They  looked  very  thin,  were 
getting  short  of  provisions,  and  were  going  south 
where  they  could  shoot  deer.  They  could  not 
talk  in  th.e  Escjuimo  language,  but  they  contrived 
to  purchase  some  seals  of  the  natives,  and  to  make 
known  the  fact  that  their  ship  or  ships  had  been 
crushed  by  the  ice.  Eater  in  the  season,  but  be- 
fore the  breaking  up  of  the  ice,  the  dead  bodies 
of  thirty  persons  and  some  graves  were  seen  on 
the  main  land,  and  other  bodies  on  an  island  near 
it.  These  bodies  were  a  day's  journey  from  the 
mouth  of  a  great  river,  ((ireat  Fish  River,)  and  to 
the  north-west  of  it.  Some  of  the  bodies  were  in 
a  tent  or  tents.  Some  were  under  a  boat  which 
had  been  turned  up  to  shelter  them.  One  of  the 
men  had  a  telescoi)e  strapped  over  his  shoulder, 
and  his  double-barreled  gun  lay  underneath  him. 
It  was  no  doubt  that  of  an  ofticer.  Sad  evidence 
was  given  from  the  mutilated  state  of  some  of  the 


Sir  yoJui  Frauklin's  Fatf 


293 


icn  from 
1.  The 
mparing 

)  several 
he  north 
lis  many 
jat  river. 
,-hat  was 
hese  Es- 
(y  white 
ilong  the 
agging  a 
lin,  were 
ng  south 
Duld  not 
ontrived 

to  make 
lad  been 
,  but  be- 
d  bodies 

seen  on 
ind  near 
from  the 
,)  and  to 
;  were  in 
at  which 
le  of  the 
ihoulder, 
ath  him. 
evidence 
le  of  the 


bodies,  md  the  contents  of  the  kettles,  tliat  the 
wr^itched  survivors  had  l)een  driven  to  the  des- 
perate resort  of  feeding  upon  the  llesh  of  their 
fellow-comrades.  Some  had  survived  until  the 
sea-fowl  began  to  return,  maybe  till  the  end  of 
May,  for  shots  were  heard,  and  feathers  and  fresh 
bones  of  birds  were  found  near  some  of  the 
bodies. 

Rae  purchased  as  many  mementos  of  the  sad 
facts  as  he  could  bring  away;  they  were  at  the 
same  time  assurances  of  tne  truth  of  the  tales 
which  had  been  told  him.  Among  these  were 
parts  of  watches,  telescojies,  cov'^jjasses,  and  guriS, 
all  of  which  had  evidently  beeri  hiuken  up  by  the 
ignorant  natives.  Silver  s}>ouns,  silver  tal)le-t'«irks, 
and  other  tal)le  plate  were  obtained.  Some  of 
these  were  engraved  with  Franklin's  name  ;  others 
with  the  names  of  liis  officers.  In  some  cases  the 
names  of  the  ships,  *'  Erebus  "  or  "  Terror,"  were 
added. 

Dr.  Rae  immediately  hastened  to  England. 
The  iiXt?.  of  Sir  John  Franklin  and  his  entire  ex- 
pedition was  regarded  as  decided,  and  Dr.  Rae 
and  his  men  received  the  offered  reward  of  fifty 
thousand  dollars  as  the  first  discoverers  of  the 
sad  fact. 

The  English  Government  considered  it  morally 
impossible  that  any  one  of  the  expedition  should 
be  alive,  and  declined  to  peril  the  lives  of  other 
brave  met/,  by  encouraging  further  search.  Ikit 
Lady  F'ranklin  devoted  all  her  available  remain- 
in.^  fortune  for  one  more  search  to  be  directed  to 


:  k 


ill 


\  ■• 


it 


i 

i 


I:} 


I'fJ 


i3 


4r 


tu 


, » 


t. 


?  i ' 


■  I*. 

'I;  i 


204 


Arctic  Heroes. 


the  very  region  named  by  the  Esquimo.  Others 
came  forward  to  aid  in  the  expense.  A  steam- 
propeller  yacht  of  one  hundred  and  seventy  tons 
was  purchased,  named  the  "  Fox  " — a  small  craft, 
indeed,  to  go  unattended  on  such  an  errand.  But 
love  gave  the  vessel  wings  and  courage.  She  was 
commanded  by  our  good  friend.  Captain  M'Clin- 
tock.  The  under  officers  and  crew  were  picked 
men.  Carl  Petersen,  whom  we  have  met  in  Sir 
John  Ross'  last  expedition,  a  tried  man  and  apt 
interpreter  of  F^squimo  talk,  was  secured  from 
Denmark,  his  native  land.  The  yacht  was  well 
stocked  with  provisions  and  scientific  instruments. 

The  "  Fox,"  having  reached  the  Greenland 
coast,  touched  at  a  Danish  settlement,  where  ad- 
ditional coal,  furs,  and  some  other  articles  for  an 
arctic  winter  were  obtained.  Dogs  and  dog- 
sledges  were  also  added  to  their  outfit.  An  Es- 
quimo  dog-driver,  by  the  name  of  Christian, 
volunteered  his  services,  was  taken  on  board,  was 
washed,  cropped,  and  dressed  in  sailor  clothes, 
after  which  he  strutted  about  among  the  men  with 
great  satisfaction.  There  was  a  hand-organ  on 
board,  with  which  he  was  greatly  delighted.  He 
proved  very  useful  in  the  management  of  the  dogs, 
and  in  teaching  that  art  to  the  officers. 

These  dogs  exhibited  the  characteristics  of  their 
race,  sometimes  to  the  amusement,  but  often  to 
the  sore  vexation,  of  their  managers.  There  was 
one  of  the  pack  named  Harness  Jack.  Sledge- 
dogs  are  said  to  eat  every  thing  except  fox  and 
raven,  but   Harness  Jack  gobbled  down  a  raven 


Others 
steam- 
ity  tons 
.11  craft, 
d.     But 
'She  was 
M'Clin- 
:  picked 
t  in  Sir 
and  apt 
id  from 
vas  well 
•umcnts. 
eenland 
liere  ad- 
:s  for  an 
id   dog- 
An  Es- 
hristian, 
ard,  was 
clothes, 
en  with 
rgan   on 
;d.     He 
le  dogs, 

of  their 
Dften  to 
ere  was 
Sledge- 
fox  and 
a  raven 


Sir  yoJm  Franklin's  Fate. 


295 


with  a  gusto.  He  had  a  notion  to  wear  his  har- 
ness continually.  If  when  he  had  been  off  in  the 
sledge  an  attempt  was  made  to  take  it  off,  he 
showed  his  teeth  most  decidedly. 

Jack  was  a  favorite  among  the  sailors  and  a 
tyrant  among  his  kind.  There  came  one  day  to 
another  dog  a  whole  family  of  little  ones.  Her 
kennel  was  an  empty  barrel  laid  on  it?  side  for  that 
purpose.  Harness  Jack  mounted  the  barrel,  and 
though  most  uncomfortably  situated,  stood  watch 
over  the  heljjlcss  brood  night  and  day.  But  for 
him  the  mother  would  have  been  bereft  of  her 
children,  for  Esquimo  dogs  have  the  amiable  pro- 
pensity of  eating  young  puppies.  It  is  not  at  all 
certain  that  if  Jack  had  not  been  well  fed  for 
his  disinterested  service,  he  would  not  himself 
have  indulged  in  the  luxury  of  tender  young  dogs 
for  breakfast.  We  hope  v;e  do  not  wrong  him  by 
the  thought. 

On  one  occasion  an  officer  attempted  to  kick 
Jack  for  his  too  great  familiarity,  and  accidentally 
sent  his  seal-skin  slipper  from  his  foot  after  him. 
Jack  picked  up  the  slipper,  scampered  away  to  a 
hiding-])lace,  and  gulped  it  down  his  throat  in  a 
twinkling. 

The  "  Fox,"  of  course,  tried  the  terrible  passage 
of  Melville  Bay,  to  reach  the  western  shore  through 
the  north  water.  The  distance  across  this  bay  is 
one  hundred  and  seventy  miles.  They  had  made 
one  hundred  and  twenty  of  it  in  the  early  part  of 
September,  1857.  A  few  days  later  a  terrific  gale 
came  on  and  broke  up  the  floe.     From  this  time 


■m 


.if 


I, 


)] 


^ 


i 


n 


ii  #S! 


;l 


h 


i 

5  ''. 

.  *  ■ 

/      ■ 

i^ 

V 

.  )• 

i' 

I 


296 


Arctic  Heroes. 


our  little  craft  was  made  a  plaything  by  the  winds 
and  currents,  they  sending  it  whither  they  pleased, 
only  being  seldom  pleased  to  carry  it  in  the  direc- 
tion its  captain  desired  to  go.  It  was  the  old 
game,  played  with  De  Haven  and  others.  The 
*'  Fox  "  did  not  get  rid  of  the  ice  by  which  it  was 
firmly  held  until  late  in  April,  1858  !  During 
ihis  unwilling  voyaging  it  drifted  out  of  Melville 
into  Baffin  Bay,  and  southward  through  Davis 
Strait,  and  out  into  the  Atlantic  Ocean,  a  distance 
of  thirteen  hundred  and  eighty-five  miles  I 

The  winter  which  was  thus  spent  in  the  villain- 
ous pack  was  attended  by  many  perils  but  no 
serious  incident.  The  sailors  contrived  to  get 
some  merriment  out  of  Guy  Fawkes'  day,  and 
much  healthful  amusement,  and  as  well  as  sub- 
stantial profit,  out  of  seal  and  bear  shooting. 

Nothing  daunted  by  this  worse  than  loss  of  one 
entire  year.  Captain  M'Clintock  turned  about  and 
tried  again.  This  time  he  succeeded,  and  on  the 
sixteenth  of  July  was  in  Lancaster  Sound.  He 
steamed  into  Barrow  Strait  to  the  old  station  at 
Beechey  Island.  From  this  he  continued  west, 
and  then  south,  into  what  may  be  found  on  the 
map  as  Peel  Sound,  between  North  Somerset  and 
Prince  of  Wales'  Island.  Keeping  near  the  coast, 
he  attempted  to  push  through  this  long,  narrow, 
and  continually  narrowing  sound  as  he  went  south, 
which  opens  into  a  broader  water  which  washes 
the  shores  on  which  Dr.  Rae's  Esquimo  had  seen 
the  wrecked  white  men.  lUit  twenty-five  miles  was 
all  the  southing  the  ice  would  allow  him  to  make. 


Sir  yoJm  Franklin  's  Fate. 


297 


le  winds 
pleased, 
le  direc- 
tive old 
i.  The 
h  it  was 
During 
Melville 
1  Davis 
distance 

:  villain- 

but   no 

to   get 

ay,   and 

as  sub- 

s  of  one 
•out  and 
i  on  the 
id.  He 
at  ion  at 
?d  west, 
I  on  the 
rset  and 
le  coast, 
narrow, 
It  south, 
I  washes 
lad  seen 
liles  was 
:o  make. 


Going  back  into  Barrow  Strait,  the  "  Fox " 
steamed  down  Prince  Regent  Inlet  on  the  east 
side  of  North  Somerset.  On  the  extreme  south 
of  this  land  is  a  strait,  twenty  miles  long  and  one 
wide,  called  Bellot  Strait.  M'Clintock  had  been 
on  this  strait  nine  years  before  when  with  Captain 
James  Ross,  but  it  was  yet  but  little  known. 
Captain  M'Clintock  hoped  with  trembling  to  sail 
through  it  into  the  southern  part  of  Peel  Sound, 
and  so  get  round  the  solid  ice  which  had  stopped 
him  on  the  west  side  of  North  Somerset.  He  did 
push  into  it,  and  made  half  the  passage  through. 
He  then  fell  into  the  grip  of  the  pack  and  was 
drifted  back  entirely  out  of  it.  Again  he  went  in, 
and  again  was  driven  out.  Five  times  did  the 
persevering  "  Fox  "  push  its  pugnacious  nose  into 
Bellot  Strait,  and  the  fifth  time  it  pushed  through  ! 
They  found  a  snug  creek  which  they  named  Port 
Kennedy,  and  went  into  winter-quarters. 

Bellot  Strait  divides  North  Somerset  from  a 
broad  land  called  Boothia  Felix.  South-east  of 
Boothia  and  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  miles 
from  M'Clintock 's  present  wintering-place  is  King 
William  Island.  This  last  was  the  island  where 
Rae's  Esquimo  obtained  their  Sir  John  Franklin 
relics.  Opposite  the  winter  harbor,  Port  Kennedy, 
is  the  southern  shore  of  Prince  of  Wales  Island. 

No  sooner  were   the  winter  comforts   secured, 

than  the  wide-awake  M'Clintock  began  to  prepare 

for  sledging  in  the  spring  on  a  large  scale.     Three 

parties,  with  dog-sledges,  each  of  four  men,  were 

to  be  sent  out.     The  first,  under  the  captain  him- 
19 


i 

jij. 


■',! 


I'i 


,1 


I  . 


t; 


,  •  I 


I 


298 


Arctic  Heroes. 


self,  accompanied  by  Petersen  the  interpreter,  was 
to  examine  the  shores  of  Kin'g  William  Island,  and 
push  forward  to  the  month  of  the  Great  P'ish 
River.  The  second,  under  Lieutenant  Hobson, 
was  to  survey  the  west  coast  of  T3oothia.  The 
third,  under  officer  Young,  was  to  strike  across  the 
sound  to  Prince  of  Wales  Island,  and  follow  its 
shore  along  its  southern,  and  a  considerable  dis- 
tance up  its  western,  line. 

The  winter  passed  away  with  its  full  share 
of  arctic  comforts  and  ])leasures.  The  captain 
thought  that  the  greatest  addition  to  pleasures 
which  could  well  be  conceived  would  be  a  well- 
filled  letter-bag!  One  sad  event  occurred.  The 
engineer  died  suddenly  of  apoplexy.  There  was 
no  one  in  the  vessel  competent  to  take  his  place. 

The  sledge  parties  were  off  at  the  early  day  of 
March  3,  1859,  while  yet  winter,  and  ice,  and 
storms  ruled  the  days.  The  captain  soon  fell  in 
with  the  natives,  many  of  whom  had  relics  of  the 
lost  "Erebus"  and  ''Terror."  They  had  not 
seen  either  the  ships  or  the  wrecked  men  from 
whom  they  came,  but  the  account  they  gave  of 
both  agreed  perfectly  v/ith  the  stories  told  Dr. 
Rae. 

Having  obtained  this  information,  M'Clintock 
returned  to  the  "  Fox."  The  other  parties  had 
come  in.  These  were  only  preparatory  trips. 
The  three  great  journeys  commenced  the  second 
of  April. 

M'Clintock  and  Hobson  traveled  together  until 
they   came    over   against   Cape   Felix,   the   north 


Sir  yoJiii  Fraukliti  's  Fate. 


299 


point  of  King  William  Island.  The  natives  spoke 
of  the  shifts  being  wrecked  on  the  west  side  of 
this  island,  one  sinking  and  the  other  drifting 
ashore,  the  latter  being  the  source  of  the  relics 
they  possessed.  The  men,  they  said,  went  away 
toward  the  Great  River,  and  the  next  year  their 
bones  were  found  scattered  along  the  way. 

Hobson  hastened  on  to  the  alleged  locality  of 
the  wreck.  The  captain  examined  the  east  shore 
of  this  great  island,  and  then  went  over  to  the 
mainland  and  made  diligent  search  about  the 
mouth  of  the  Great  Fish  River.  Returning,  he 
led  his  party  up  the  western  shore  of  King  Will- 
iam Island,  along  the  very  track  which  Franklin's 
retreating  men  must  have  passed.  The  sledges 
kept  on  the  ice,  and  some  of  the  party  walked  on 
the  shore,  carefully  examining  every  trace.  While 
Captain  M'Clintock  was  walking  on  a  gravel  ridge, 
w^hich  the  winds  kept  in  a  measure  bare  of  snow, 
he  came  upon  a  human  skeleton.  Ii  vvas  partly 
exposed,  with  a  few  fragments  of  clothes  lying 
near.  The  perfectly  bleached  skeleton  was  lying 
upon  its  face.  The  limbs  and  smaller  bones  were 
either  dissevered,  or  gnawed  away  by  small  an- 
imals. A  careful  examination  of  the  ground  was 
made,  and  more  pieces  of  clothing,  a  pocket-book, 
a  clothes-brush,  pocket-comb,  a  neck-handker- 
chief with  a  loose  bow-knot,  a  blue  jacket,  and  a 
pilot  cloth  great-coat  with  plain-covered  buttons. 
All  these  articles,  with  the  style  of  dress,  showed 
that  the  deceased  was  a  steward's  or  officer's  serv- 
ant.    He  had  taken  the   gravel  ridge  for  easier 


t 

i 

•  ! 

1 

1 

1  ■ 

i 

V 

:l^: 


y^ 


U    ^M   i 


300  Arctic  Heroes. 

travel,  fallen  on  his  face  and  died.  It  reminded 
the  captain  of  the  remark  of  an  old  Esciiiimo 
woman  who  had  seen  the  escaping  party  :  "  They 
fell  down  and  died  as  they  walked  away." 

Going  on  a  little  farther,  M'Clintock  found  a 
cairn  put  up  by  Lieutenant  Hobson.  He  had 
been  as  far  south  as  this  si)ot,  and  returned  north 
only  six  days  before.  He  had  left  a  note  for 
M'Clintock  whi-ch  gave  important  information. 
He  had  not  found  the  wreck  nor  seen  any  natives, 
but  he  had  found  a  record  left  by  Franklin's  party. 
This  lifted  in  part  the  vail  which  had  hid  the 
secret  of  their  fate  for  so  many  years.  Hobson 
had  found  it  at  Point  Victory,  on  the  north-west 
coast  of  this  island — King  William  Island.  The 
record  paper  was  a  printed  form  supplied  to  all 
the  arctic  ships,  and  was  soldered  up  in  a  thin  tin 
cylinder.  The  writing  was  upon  the  margin  and 
read  as  follows  : — 

"Twenty-eighth  of  May,  1847. — H.  M.  ships 
'  Erebus  '  and  '  Terror  '  wintered  in  the  ice  in  lat. 
70°  5'  N.,  long.  98"  23'  W. 

"Having  wintered  in  1845-6  at  Beechey  Island 
in  lat.  74°  43'  28"  N.,  long.  91°  39'  15"  W.,  after  hav- 
ing ascended  Wellington  Channel  to  lat.  77°  and 
returned  by  the  west  side  of  Cornwallis  Island. 

"  Sir  John  Franklin  comma  ding  the  expedition. 

"  All  well. 

"  Party  consisting  of  two  officers  and  six  men 
left  the  ships  on  Monday,  tvventy-fourth  of  May, 
1847.  ^^  G.  M.  Gore,  Zieu^e/ia/it. 

"  Charles  F.  Des  Vceux,  Mate.'* 


Sir  JoJin  Franklin 's  Fate. 


30  r 


men 
May, 


Thus  far  Franklin's  expedition  was  one  of  al- 
most unexampled  success.  From  the  time  they 
were  last  seen,  by  the  whaler,  in  Baffin  Bay,  July 
1843,  they  had  made  the  passage  of  Lancaster 
Sound  and  Barrow  Strait,  had  pushed  up  Welling- 
ton Channel  a  hundred  and  fifty  miles  to  the 
highest  latitude  ever  attained,  returned  through  an 
unexplored  channel  west  of  Cornwallis  Island, 
and  wintered  at  Beechey  Island,  Then  they  had 
sailed  south  to  their  present  position,  and  spent, 
in  comfort  and  health,  a  second  winter.  They 
had  sailed  through  five  hundred  miles  of  pre- 
viously unexplored  waters.  They  were  now  within 
ninety  miles  of  the  known  waters  leading  out 
through  Bering  Strait  to  the  Atlantic  and  dear  old 
England !  The  north-west  passage  must  have 
appeared  to  Franklin  as  almost  certainly  known 
to  him,  and  to  be  easily  demonstrated  by  a  boat 
journey,  if  not  by  his  ships  themselves.  But  how 
soon  was  all  changed !  The  record  we  have 
just  noticed,  written  by  officer  Gore  in  May,  1847, 
was  taken  out  in  April,  1848,  and,  by  another  hand, 
the  f^lowing  addition  made  on  the  margin : — 

''April  25,  1848,  — H,  M.  ships  'Terror'  and 
'  Erebus '  were  deserted  on  the  twenty-second  of 
April,  five  leagues  N,  N,  W.  of  this,  having  been 
beset  since  the  twelfth  of  September,  1846.  The 
officers  and  crews,  one  hundred  and  five  souls, 
under  the  command  of  Captain  F.  R.  M.  Crozier, 
landed  here  in  lat.  69°  37'  42"  N.,  and  long.  98° 
41'  W.  Sir  John  Franklin  died  on  the  eleventh  of 
June,   1847  ;  and   the   total  loss  by  death   in   the 


m^ 


302 


Arctic  Heroes. 


^  n 


I 


expedition  has  been  to  this  date  nine  officers  and 
fifteen  men. 

(Signed)  F.  R.  M.  Crozier, 

Captain  and  Senior  Ojjlcer. 
(Signed)  James  Fitzjames, 

Captain  H.  M.  S.  Erclun, 
and  start  (on)  to-morrow,  26,  for  Back's  Fish 
River." 

« 

A  small  additional  note  on  the  margin  states 
the  fact  that  the  document  had  been  removed 
to  its  present  place  of  deposit,  four  miles,  from 
the  place  where  "the  late  Commander  Gore  had 
put  it." 

Gore  himself  then  was  dead,  and  only  two 
weeks  after  he  had  written  "All  well,"  his  noble 
commander,  Franklin,  ended  his  eminent  life. 

Captain  M'Clintock  now  made  the  best  speed 
possible  on  the  track  of  Hobson.  After  passing 
the  extreme  west  point  of  King  William  Land, 
which  they  named  Cape  Crozier,  they  came  upon 
a  boat.  This  Hobson  had  seen,  and  left  a  note 
stating  the  fact. 

This  boat,  its  contents  and  surroundings,  con- 
stituted the  saddest  relic  yet  seen.  Large  quantities 
of  damaged  clothing  was  scattered  about  in  it, 
but  no  record,  pocket-book,  memorandum,  nor 
journal  of  any  kind,  was  found ;  no  name,  even, 
was  found  on  any  article  of  clothing.  The  boat 
was  swei)t  and  examined  in  every  crevice. 

The  boat  was  of  light  but  strong  material,  and 
rested   upon   a   stout-built    sledge.     It   had   been 


Sir  yoJin  Frank'lin  \s  Fate. 


videiulv   equii)i)cd    in    every    particular    for 
lesijcrarc  c.\r)edition  ui)  the  Great  Fish  River. 


303 

the 


evideiuh 

desj)erare  c.\i)etlition  up 

'i'hc  most  impressive  relic  of  the  boat  was  two 
skeletons :  one  of  a  young  man,  the  other  that  of 
a  strongly  made  man  of  midd'e  age.  They  were 
much  broken,  and  the  skulls  were  entirely  missing. 
Wolves  had  evidently  visited  the  boat.  Near  them 
were  two  double-barreled  guns  and  five  watches. 
A  large  quantity  of  silverware,  with  names  of 
owners  engraved  on  them,  with  a  great  variety  of 
such  valuables,  were  found.  The  Esquimo  had 
not  been  here. 

No  graves  nor  other  skeletons  were  found  in  the 
vicinity.  The  boat's  bow  was  directed  toward  the 
shi[)s,  back  to  which  her  men  were  evidently  drag- 
ging her.  This  may  account  for  only  two  skele- 
tons, and  the  small  quantity  of  food  found — a  lit- 
tle tea,  forty  pounds  of  chocolate,  and  a  small 
quantity  of  pemmican.  The  rest  of  them  may  have 
gone  forward  to  the  ships,  sixty-five  miles,  intend- 
ing to  retuvn. 

M'Clintock,  after  the  most  complete  search, 
which  did  not  add  any  material  item  to  his  infor- 
mation, returned  to  his  ship.  The  sledge  excur- 
sions were  all  ended  late  in  July.  Young  had 
made  valuable  discoveries,  but  had  seen  no  traces 
of  Franklin.  Both  Young  and  Hobson  were  much 
broken  in  health,  and  the  commander  was  admon- 
ished if  he  would  save  his  men  and  vessel  he 
must  improve  the  earliest  opportunity  of  getting 
away.  On  the  third  of  August  they  moved  a  few 
miles;  on  the  tenth  they  got  up  steam,  the  cap- 


U!i 


m 


1 1 

H 


i 


I'l 


'  i 
If 


! 


3^4 


Arctic  Heroes. 


tain,  by  the  aid  of  the  firemen,  contriving  to  man- 
age the  engine,  and  made  good  headway ;  on  the 
twenty-eighth  they  were  at  a  Danish  port  in  Green- 
land, and  on  the  twenty-first  of  September  Cap- 
tain M'Clintock  was  in  London. 

Honor  and  reward  awaited  the  officers  and  crew 
of  the  brave  little  "Fox."  The  relics  were  de- 
posited in  the  United  Service  Institution.  The. 
fate  of  Franklin  and  his  men  was  discovered.  If 
money,  bravery,  and  good-will  could  have  saved 
them,  our  last  chapter  would  have  read,  Franklin 
saved ! 


THE    END. 


.1 


!,i 


I  i  ' 


,. ! 


\) 


]  1ip 

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